Memoirs of a Male Escort
by Digitallace
Summary: D/H Slash. Draco reluctantly finds himself a job as an escort. After a few years at mastering his career, he gets a surprise new client. Harry Potter. Will Draco give it all up for Harry, will Harry even want him to?
1. Chapter 1 In the Beginning

Authors Note: so this is my new fic. I now have 5 WIP's and I promise to update them often and finish them all. As usual you can see story inspired art in both my livejournal and my website.

The streets of London are my home, not my hunting ground. I'm not some cheap street corner prostitute. No, I'm much higher class than any of that rubbish. I'm paid – and paid well – to provide the ideal companion to my clients. Someone they can talk to, be themselves with, someone they can show off to their friends… and yes, someone they can fuck.

They should get their money's worth after all.

--

_Six Years Earlier_

"Mother, you can't really be considering this?" Draco asked impatiently and slightly afraid of her answer.

"Draco, you of all people should know the position I am in. With your father in prison and the manor and all our assets frozen by the ministry, what other options do I have?" she responded calmly.

"There has to be another way, I can't just sit by and watch as you sell your body to filthy men. You're a Malfoy," he replied haughtily.

Narcissa placed a cool pale hand on her sons shoulder. She could understand his scorn and his dismay for her decision, but it had to be done. "The Malfoy name no longer holds any weight son. Besides, before I was a Malfoy, I was a Black, and a Black survives, no matter the price."

"We just need to think this though, mother," he pleaded, nearly falling to his knees before her. "I'm sure we can think of another way. I can work… I can do something to make us money."

She shook her head elegantly, her blonde hair shining in the light through the windows of their muggle motel room. "We can't keep living like this, and you are in hiding son. Charges could still be brought against you for your involvement in the war. I will not risk you, not after losing Lucius." A single tear escaped her normally cool façade. "I cannot, no I will not lose you as well."

Draco took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He stood and studied his beautiful and proud mother, seeing clearly that she would not yield in this manner. "Then let me at least accompany you when you meet this woman. Let me see for myself that we can trust her."

"And since when have you had a keen eye for selecting the trustworthy adversary? Harry Potter was in your very midst for six years, and not once did it occur to you to side with the boy," she said, her voice ringing with disapproval.

They had the same argument over and over. Narcissa had hoped that she had raised a son who would think for himself, not follow someone blindly like a sheep being led to slaughter, even if it was his own father he was following.

During the war she knew the moment she looked upon the young Potter, that he was the stronger wizard—that he was the one truly worth following. She couldn't fathom how her own son, having classes with him daily, sharing meals in the same room and even sharing the love of the same sport could have missed such a blatant truth.

It wouldn't have gone far to save her own fate, because she was bound to her husband and his ill conceived choices, but it would have saved Draco. It would have kept him from hiding and living like a muggle.

And now, there was no way she would let her son meet with Madame X, the sneaky woman who would have him as her own. She was of course untrustworthy. There was nothing for it though; Narcissa needed money, a way to put food on the table, a roof over their head. She only had the training of a lady within the line of Black, taught only to be the perfect wife, and a devoted companion. It was all she knew.

"Draco, I will do this, and I will do this alone," she said at last, standing and kissing her son softly on the forehead. "Wait for me here, I will be back shortly."

Draco sagged to the floor, looking after his mother as she left the room. She still looked proud, in spite of the way she was about to lower and degrade herself.

She was taking care of him, both of them, but Draco was a man, he was an adult now, and he could at the very least ensure her protection. With that declaration firmly in place, he cast a light disillusionment charm on himself and set out to follow her.

--

It was not at all what Draco had been expecting. He saw in his mind's eye a rotted out Victorian brothel, his poor mother being made into a trollop and a whore, having to wear skimpy clothing and flaunt herself, but this was something quite different.

When he arrived at the building, which was in fact a large muggle ballroom, he nearly thought he had the wrong address. It wasn't until he spotted his mother in an elegant sapphire blue gown, her arm resting lightly on that of a stranger's, when he knew he had written it down correctly.

She was laughing, and generally seemed to be having a fine time at the event. Only the fine lines creasing her eyes told Draco that she wasn't in fact enjoying herself as much as she would be with Lucius, but merely playing a part. A brilliant actress, that was all, nothing here to harm his mother.

He went into the restroom and switched his disillusionment charm with that of a simple glamour, making his hair a little shorter, and his skin slightly tanner and softened his pointy facial features. He added fitting clothing to the charm, changing his denims and black silk shirt to that of a tuxedo and tie, then he promptly left the room and joined the party.

His mother saw him right off sparing no time in recognizing him, and her look turned both angry and concerned at once. She tried to tell him with her eyes to leave, but his mind was set and he was determined to stay and watch over her.

It wasn't but moments later that he was approached by a tall woman, thin but strong. Her eyes were very dark, almost black, and her makeup accentuated them. She was wearing a vibrant gown of dark red gossamer and silk, and the softness of the fabric brushed against Draco when she leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"Your mother looks lovely tonight, does she not?" she asked.

Draco nodded before he could think, before he could realize that this woman somehow knew him.

"I thought I could count on the want to protect her to bring you to me, but I didn't think it would be so soon," she trailed her fingertips along his jaw line. "You really are a lovely boy; you would be quite the prize in my little collection." She narrowed her eyes and he felt his glamour drop, being ripped from him by the woman beside him.

She gasped slightly and purred in his ear. "Even more beautiful than I could have suspected. Say you'll work for me and I can promise you riches you never saw, even as a Malfoy."

Draco looked panicked and tried to leave, but the woman caught his arm. "You need not run from me, Draco. I have no wish to turn you into the Ministry, not while I can use you," she said, smiling sweetly.

"Who are you?" he asked with a sneer.

She feigned being flustered and apologized. "Oh, I'm deeply sorry, I thought you knew. I'm Madame X, your mother's employer." She bowed low, and Draco could see over her bent form, his mother looking scared and stricken.

Madame X caught the look and smiled again, this time all pretense of sweetness was gone. "I see you care about her deeply. I can tell you, the one that she is with now… he's rough. He'll do what he can to make your mother scream, it's what he likes, and we always give our clients what they want."

Draco winced. He knew that powerful men were often like that, charming on the outside and animals within. "I'll take her away right now if that's the truth," he replied, sparing no further glances for his mother.

"You know I wouldn't let you do that. See those men?" she asked, as she pointed to several men in black on black suits in various places around the room. "They are all mine, security you could say. They'll make sure she stays, unless…" and she let her voice trail off.

"Unless what?" Draco asked impatiently.

"Unless you would like to make a deal with me," she answered. "You in exchange for your mother. I can release her right now, and you could be my employee instead."

Draco looked again at his mother, the picture of delicate elegance and nodded once. "Just let her leave. Now," he growled.

Madame X smirked and walked briskly toward his mother and her companion, Draco in tow. "Christopher, you'll excuse me, but I need to have a word in private," she said to the man.

They went off a few steps and Narcissa grabbed Draco's arm roughly. "What are you doing, Draco?"

He shook his head. "It's already done mother, I've taken your place. You can go home now."

Her eyes went wide and filled close to brimming with tears. "You've done what?" she hissed.

"I'm in Madame X's employ now, and you will be taken care of. I won't let that man put his hands on you," he added.

"But you're fine with letting him put his hands on you?" she asked, her heart slowly breaking.

"What?" Draco asked affronted. "No, I…"

Narcissa laughed but it was a sorrowful sound. "Once again you jump into a situation without knowing all the facts. Madame X only has _men_ for clients, Draco."

"But she can't have… she wouldn't mean… there must be some mistake, why would she want me if her only client's are men?" he asked, his voice wavering.

"Not all of her clients are _straight_ men, Draco. She's been asking about you since I came to her that first night. I told her you were off limits… but she seems to have found a way around my edict," she said, lips pursed.

"I didn't know," Draco whispered.

"Clearly," his mother said, her eyes shut and her face pinched. "I can't get you out of this Draco, you'll have to get yourself out somehow, or see it through. Whichever you decide, I'll be here for you," she added and turned on her heel and left.

Madame X approached a moment later with Christopher's hand in her own. "I shall take your mother's place tonight, Draco. I'll see you tomorrow at lunch." She handed him a card and winked. "That's your new address, go straight there, if the wards are not tripped by your arrival within ten minutes, I'll send Brutus after you," she added with narrowed eyes.

Draco took the card and walked solemnly from the dance floor. He had to find a way to break the agreement, but for now he would bide his time until he could talk to Madame X in private.

--

Author's Note: I'm helpless without reviews.


	2. Chapter 2 Dirty

Author's Note: Okay, so since this one is so far behind, I'll post an extra chapter to help catch you all up. Many thanks to Alexandra, who beta-ed this and several other updated chapters in the same day.

Chapter 2 Dirty

The first rule to being a male escort is to give your client exactly what they want. Some people are harder to read than others, but I've never had a problem with anyone so far. Most of my clients are muggles, which works well for me since I'm a wanted criminal to the Minister of Magic.

To the muggles… I'm just wanted.

--

Madam X wouldn't hear a word of Draco's protests. She recited that he had agreed to a verbal contract and that she upheld her end of the deal. His mother would be able to live a prostitution free life, because Draco was taking on that burden for her.

"I've never had sex with a man before," Draco added hesitantly.

"There's a first time for everything, dear," she answered after swallowing her bite of salad. "Don't worry, most of your clients will be bottoms. It'll be just like sleeping with a woman… well a woman with a cock. We can get you some lessons with Vladimir if you're worried though."

Draco shuddered. He had met Vladimir, and he had no intention of sleeping with that man. If the massive size of his shoulders, arms and legs were any indication, that was _not_ how he wanted to break himself in.

Madam X chuckled at the look on his face and continued to eat her lunch. Draco hadn't touched his. He was busy running his finger over the manila file folder she had set in front of him upon her arrival. It held the name, occupation, photo, address and profile notes of every man he could be partnered with in the upcoming weeks.

The file was thick.

He hadn't bothered opening it yet, too afraid of what he would find. The woman across from him, his boss, he realized with a shudder, was still merrily eating her salad, completely oblivious to Draco's inner turmoil.

"Draco dear, don't look so worried," she said at last. "I'll be kind with your first client. I'll make sure he's one of the gentle boys—and pretty. We'll ease you into it."

"Gee, thanks," Draco replied sarcastically.

"For the time being, enjoy your new flat. It's a perk of being one of our most desirable escorts. You'll find a new wardrobe and if you need anything, just ring Vladimir or Dimitri," she said as she got up.

She placed a small silver contraption in his hand. "That's your cell. Don't lose it. You'll need to touch base with us from it periodically when you're on a job. We need to make sure our staff stays safe," she said, patting him on the cheek before she walked away.

Draco opened the file and swallowed thickly. There must have been thirty blokes or more in there. Some of them were attractive enough, but for the most part, Draco could understand why they had to pay for sex.

Though Madame X had been clear that not all of the arrangements involved sex—some clients only wanted a premium date to an event, or someone to talk to when they were lonely—most expected sex as part of the package.

--

Draco went home to his flat, which he had to admit was quite nice. It was a three-bedroom two-bath loft with a large modern kitchen and floor to ceiling windows in most of the rooms. It was in a high-rise in central London, and overlooked the Thames.

As his boss said, he found his new walk in closet fully equipped with any known designer clothing manufacturer that there was. He had suits and casual clothes, even a few dress robes for the rare wizard encounters he would have.

He tried on a couple of things before padding out to his living room and flipping on the thing he had discovered the night before. Vladimir had said it was a television, and every time Draco mashed a button on that slim magic wand that came with it, the image changed.

Draco found it fascinating.

He was engrossed in some trashy soap opera when his cell phone chirped. He picked it up gingerly and opened it. "Hello?" he asked into the small contraption. He felt like he was going to break it.

"Your first client will be Caleb Anders. You'll find him in your file so study up. You are to pick him up at his town house at seven sharp. Take the BMW," she said quickly and then hung up.

Draco listened to the dial tone for a moment and then put the phone away. He reached for the file and flipped it open to reveal that evenings date - no, client.

She had held to her word. Caleb looked to be about Draco's height, with dark curly hair and blue eyes. He was probably one of the nicest looking boys in the file. Draco swallowed thickly and went into the bathroom.

He showered and dressed in a smart black on black pinstripe suit and headed out the door. Standing by the elevator was Dimitri.

"Madame X mentioned something about a BMW? What is that?" Draco asked.

Dimitri lowered his black sunglasses to the tip of his nose and looked at Draco incredulously. "You can't drive, can you?" he asked.

Draco looked down at his expensive Italian loafers and shook his head. He had seen car commercials on the television, so he knew what Dimitri was referring to. He deduced that a BMW must be a type of car.

"I'll drive, then. I'll get Sam to teach you tomorrow," he grunted, and Draco followed him into the elevator and down to the garage.

The car ride was exhilarating. It was nothing compared to flying of course, but it was the closest he had ever been to it. Dimitri showed him a few tricks along the way, and agreed to chauffer Draco and his client around for the night.

The man on the curb matched his photo, he was lean and fit and had what looked to be a good body under his suit. He smiled a pristine white grin at Draco as he got out of the car. He hooked his arm through Draco's and let him slid him into the backseat.

Draco had decided that afternoon just to treat it as if he were courting any other society girl that his parents had set him up with. He assumed that if he looked at it that way, there would be no issues.

Caleb was handsome, very handsome. His hair seemed familiar with its curly locks that were almost black, and it was messy, as if nothing the man could do, would tame it. It seemed soft though, and Draco found himself wanting to run his fingers through it.

The man appraised him and seemed equally pleased. "Madame X always hires the best doesn't she?" he asked.

Draco smiled and shrugged elegantly. "I wouldn't know. I only just started myself, and I have yet to meet any others."

"She told me that, that I'm your first… in every way," he added suggestively.

Draco blushed and nodded lightly.

Caleb laughed and put a hand on Draco's knee, slow massaging it. "Relax, Draco. You're in good hands," he said with a wink.

--

Draco woke up in a foreign bed and he ached. The images from his night with Caleb filled his mind and he shuddered. Partially from the fact that his arse was still a bit sore, but also because he realized he had enjoyed it. He had loved every passionate minute with Caleb and was now luxuriating in the man's bed.

He heard soft footfalls coming from the adjacent bathroom and he opened his eyes and grinned at Caleb. He was still wet from his shower and only had a towel wrapped around his waist. "Oh good, your up. I'll need you to get going, my wife will be here any minute," he said hurriedly.

Draco's eyes went wide and his mouth gaped. "Wife?"

Caleb nodded. "Yeah, sure. All proper executives have wives, who they fuck on their own time is their own business. Rebecca doesn't ask questions, but all the same I'd rather not have to explain your presence."

Draco nodded, still feeling a bit nauseous at being thrown out of the man's house. He had literally been Draco's first… in every way, as Caleb had said before. Draco had never even had sex with a woman, so by all accounts, he had just lost his virginity to a stranger who had paid him for it and was now giving him the toss.

The truth of it all smacked Draco across the face like the Hogwarts Express. He dressed quickly; picked up the envelope of cash Caleb had left him on the nightstand and slipped it into his pocket. He left as quickly as he could, nodding to a blonde in the lobby, wondering if that had been Mrs. Anders.

--

Later that morning, when he got home, he stripped down and took a long shower. He tried to scrub away the feelings he had the previous night, but nothing helped. He still felt dirty, unclean, and unlovable.

Authors note: I'm just going to cut to the chase here. Review!!


	3. Chapter 3 Unexpected

Authors Note: Okay, so I'm catching you up on this story. After this chapter all of my stories should be even at 4 chapters posted per story. Yay. Though some will be longer than others, I'm not sure about this one yet. Many thanks to Alexandra for both her Super Beta skills and also for her flaming reviews ;)

Chapter 3 Unexpected

One of the trickiest rules you must always abide by as an escort is to expect the unexpected. This may seem obvious or even trivial, but you would be surprised at how often a person can be caught off guard. What would you do when a client asked you to piss on them? Well, I laughed. I thought he was joking. I mean, wouldn't you?

Needless to say it got me into big trouble with the boss. So from then on I learned never to even hesitate at a request, no matter how odd, and to always expect a surprise.

If you're expecting it, it can't surprise you.

--

Several years passed and Draco grew into his role as an escort, a companion to men. The realization that he was in fact, quite gay, came as a sudden jolt, but it all worked out in the end. If that hadn't been the case his life would have been forfeit as he wouldn't have continued under Madame X's employ, and if he broke contract with her, she would no doubt turn him into the Ministry—or worse.

He had countless conquests under his belt now, and usually enjoyed them. The longer he stayed under employ there, the emptier he felt. He had no one to call his own, no one to come home to at night. There was no room for a relationship in the life he led. No one would have put up with his occupation, nor should they. Draco felt twinges of jealousy toward his clients on occasion. He could only imagine how awful a serious boyfriend would feel every night that Draco didn't come home.

So he carefully put all personal feelings aside. He wouldn't be able to do this job forever of course, and one day he would have to figure a way out, but for now he could be content, maybe even happy with the way things were.

Over the years he had grown to respect and appreciate his boss more than he ever thought he would. She took excellent care of him and reserved the highest clientele for his jobs. He was given preferential treatment and he enjoyed it. He was also paid so well that it was easy to give his mother the kind of life she deserved.

Narcissa had moved to France a few years back, unable to understand Draco's willingness to continue his profession even after the Malfoy name had been mostly cleared. They could have gone before the Wizengamot and been cleared of all charges if he had wished to, but he stayed hidden. He lived more in the world of muggles than that of wizards now, and he was better for it.

He often wondered if she would be more accepting of his situation if he were with someone serious instead of the perpetual one night stands? It probably didn't matter much though, because as of yet, he had no desire to quite his profession, and no one worth the trouble.

--

The Present

The phone chirped and Draco picked it up without a thought. "Malfoy," he answered.

The voice on the other end was familiar but harried. "Draco I have a special request for you," she said.

"Whatever you need, Madame X, you know that," he said automatically.

"This one is very high profile," Madame X continued. Draco barely registered a word of it, almost all of his clients were high profile. "And a wizard." She said at last.

Draco took a deep breath and let it out sharply. So far Madame X had been careful to keep him out of the wizarding population, more for her own peace of mind than his, he suspected, but still, why now?

"I thought you had reasons for keeping me away from wizards," he said lightly, carefully making it known he was in no way challenging her, only asking a question.

"I do, but none of them apply to this case… or rather they cannot, because I have no real choice in the matter. This is a very powerful man, Draco. I need you to be on your best behavior… and be careful," she said before hanging up.

Draco sat for a moment, staring out over the skyline. No name, no address, nothing. That was not like Madame X. She usually wanted Draco well prepared, and on this occasion, she gave him nothing besides a terse warning. Something was wrong.

A knock on the door broke him from his thoughts and he answered it, spotting Dimitri through the peephole. The bulky man handed him a slip of paper with an address but no name. "Do you know who it is?" he asked.

The bodyguard shook his head and smirked. "You know I don't get information like that. But she did say to take the Lotus for this trip."

Draco nodded. "So he likes fast sports cars?"

Dimitri grunted. "Doesn't everyone?"

Shutting the door again, Draco laughed. He knew better than to invite Dimitri in. The man would say no. It wasn't part of his job description to loiter with the employees. Draco never argued. He knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of one of Madame X's tirades.

--

Dressed in a smart gray suit and simple yet expensive black dress robes, Draco drove toward the given address. He let his hair blow in the breeze created by fast speeds and the countryside. The address wasn't in London, and he had a bit of a trek ahead of him.

More time to think and more time to worry. Why had Madame X seemed so spooked, and why had she sent him? Granted she only had one other wizard in employ. He was a bloke from Durmstrang in the same situation as Draco, only not nearly as good looking, so usually she risked his neck instead.

Did he do something wrong? He raced through the last several clients and couldn't note a single thing out of the ordinary. No one had seemed less than satisfied when he left them, and he couldn't imagine any of them giving him a bad report.

No, it must just be exactly as she said, he decided. A high profile wizard and she could only send the best. He was the best after all.

When he pulled up to the written address he felt slightly uneasy. The house looked vaguely familiar and he knew why as soon as he saw the family crest above the doorway.

This was the Black Family Manor.

He almost turned around and left. Nothing in his job description indicated that he must participate in incest, nor would he. He'd fight that one tooth and nail if it came to it. The man would just have to settle for the second best wizard in Madame X's retinue.

Was that why she had been so hesitant to tell him anything? Draco started to get angry just thinking about it. Trying to calm himself, he was almost back to the car when he remembered something.

He seemed to recall that back in his sixth year, his mother mentioned the family home passing out of the line of Black's. She and Aunt Bella had been livid because Sirius bequeathed the home to someone not of their own line and she didn't even know who.

So he turned around and walked back up the drive, pausing for a moment in front of the door. He knocked hesitantly and waited, preparing himself for anything. Expect the unexpected. He repeated it silently like a mantra.

The door opened slowly and Draco's jaw nearly hit the floor as a ruggedly handsome Harry Potter stood in the doorway.

He hadn't been expecting this.

Authors Note: I like reviews and faulty wish muffins. Feel free to send me either. (or both)


	4. Chapter 4 Ever the Gryffindor

Authors Note: So this chapter will catch it up with my other WIP's making each story have 4 chapters each. Thanks again to Alexandra for her mighty Beta skillz. lol

Chapter 4 Ever the Gryffindor

Don't ever reveal too much of yourself to a client. Not you're _real_ self at least. It puts you in a compromising position to do so. You'll begin liking the person, and not the way you're supposed to, but as a human being, not a client.

If you go into a job acting like yourself, as opposed to how they want you to act, then it makes it too personal.

You don't want to get personal with your clients, because that leads to heartache, if not heartbreak. No matter how much you think your client might like you, the career you have chosen will always get in the way.

Always.

--

Harry's brilliant green gaze bore into Draco's and made him flinch. "Malfoy?" he questioned.

Draco took a deep breath and let it out slowly, replacing the careful mask he had constructed for all unusual situations he was faced with. "The one and only," he beamed.

"How the hell did you find out where I live?" he asked.

"I was sent by the agency," he replied. "But if you'd like me to go?" he added hopefully. He really didn't want to get into things with Potter. This man could ruin him in a second's time; no wonder Madame X had been so illusive.

He looked perplexed for a moment, then a light flickered through his eyes, which were, much to Draco's chagrin, the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. "You've got to be kidding. You? They sent me you?"

"Look. Potter, it's okay. I can go back and tell her you were unhappy. They'll send someone else right away." He turned and headed for the car, but Harry's voice stopped him. He looked back over his shoulder to see a smirking raven-haired man who suddenly looked every bit his Gryffindor schoolboy counterpart.

Groaning inwardly he trudged back to the door. "I suppose this is great fun for you?" he asked.

Harry nodded once, still smirking. "It is, yes."

With a sigh, Draco gestured to the door. "Are you at least going to invite me inside, or are you going to berate me on the stoop?"

Harry laughed and moved aside with a grand sweeping gesture, allowing Draco to pass.

The house was pristine. Everything looked fairly new; completely unlike he remembered it as a child. None of the Black's portraits hung on the wall save two, a handsome portrait of his blood traitor uncle Sirius and a lovely painting of his own mother, which Draco thought to be immensely odd.

A lowly house elf appeared in the hallway and bowed to Harry. "Master Potter, your dinner is served, sir." He spared a glance at Harry's guest and his eyes nearly popped out. "Master Draco, is it you? Of course it is, I would know a Malfoy and a Black anywhere. Finally Master Potter is associating with proper wizards," he grumbled kindly then disappeared with a soft pop.

Harry chuckled. "I think you may be the first person I have invited here that Kreatcher has approved of."

Draco rolled his eyes. He remembered this house elf, and if he recalled properly it wouldn't take much for the thing to turn on someone. "You know Potter, technically speaking, this house should have passed to me. How is it you managed to be the owner of it? Or do saviors just get given things like ancient pureblood manors on a regular basis?"

His mirth quickly died away. "I got this before the war. Sirius left it to me," he said quietly.

Draco didn't think he was incorrect in hearing the sadness in Potter's tone. "Why would he do that?" Draco asked, still perplexed.

"He was my godfather," Harry replied as he walked through the elaborate sitting room and into the dining hall.

The pieces of the puzzle slowly fell together. That would make total sense, Harry's father was a pureblood after all, and it would be fitting that the two were close. "So, did you ever meet him? Or did you just get some scroll announcing you were a home owner?"

Harry sat down at the head of the table, a bowl of soup in front of him. "I knew him… though, not as well as I would have liked."

Draco almost let his composure drop again. "But… he was in Azkaban…"

"Escaped remember? I helped with that… not the escape exactly, but the getting away bit. Then your Aunt murdered him in our fifth year," he growled, not looking at Draco, who was giving a wide berth to the seething Gryffindor.

"She got hers then, didn't she?" Draco added. He had never liked his Aunt Bella. She was wicked and crazy, and Draco was happy to be rid of her.

Harry looked up at Draco perplexed. Perhaps he had expected him to come to her defense. He looked like he might say something, but instead only nodded, gesturing to the second bowl of soup to his right.

"Can I ask about the portraits?" Draco requested as he made his way to the table.

Harry looked up slightly amused. "You can ask…" he replied, hinting that he might not answer.

"Well, I understand Sirius, but why my mother?" he asked, hoping he _would_ answer.

Harry took a deep breath and waited for a moment before letting it out. Draco thought for a moment he was going to ignore him. "She saved my life during the war. She didn't have to, and had nothing to really gain by doing so. I respect her, so I didn't take down her portrait like I did the others."

He carefully composed his features as the shock of that statement hit him. Why had his mother never told him? Could he press Potter for more information about it? He decided finally to let it go and just ask his mother about it later. Surely she couldn't deny it if he asked her directly.

Draco politely took his seat and eyed Harry curiously. It was odd seeing his old school rival after all this time. The years had been good to the Gryffindor. He was tan and fit, and since he was only wearing a tee shirt and tight jeans, Draco could tell he had a nice body. His hair was still as messy as it had ever been in school, but longer and curlier than he recalled. It was his eyes though, that captivated Draco. They were such a brilliant shade of green that he had been remiss not to notice in school, especially having studied the boy in detail on an almost daily basis.

Though, to his defense, back in school thick-rimmed glasses had covered his eyes. Now they shone freely in the candlelight and Draco was haunted by their emerald brilliance.

"You're staring," Harry said with an amused smirk.

Draco blushed slightly. Clients usually liked it when he did, though this time it was authentic. "I was just wondering if this was what you called the agency for, a cozy night in. I got the impression that you had never called them before. I thought there might be a special occasion you were celebrating."

Harry sighed and pushed his soup bowl away. "There is. Tonight is the night I accept the mantle of Minister of Magic," he grumbled.

"Shouldn't someone hours away from becoming Minister be a little happier about it?" Draco asked, frowning.

Harry only shrugged. "I can only speak for myself, and I'm not happy. I never wanted this, it was more… thrust upon me."

"No offence, Potter, but a Ministry gala is probably the last place I should be going," Draco said, suddenly nervous.

Harry smiled then, and it was a mischievous grin that secretly Draco hoped to get to see again. "I thought of that. I promise I won't let anything happen to you," he assured nonchalantly, "but it's only too perfect. I've been looking for ways to make this ceremony as awkward as possible for everyone involved, and here you are, on my doorstep like a pretty little gift. Enemy of the state and my date for the night," he laughed.

"I'm not following you," Draco said, trying to recall what he had said after Harry called him pretty.

"I hate all this, the pomp, the title. That's all it is, a title given to the war hero to lift up the name of the Ministry, get everyone to trust them again." Harry shook his head. "The only reason I'm even accepting is because Kingsley asked me personally. Begged me really, and because the other option is Umbridge, and I would do anything to keep her out of the Minister chair."

Draco winced, recalling the toad-like professor from their fifth year. Even working for her inquisitorial squad, he still loathed her.

"So I decided a while back to make the ceremony as miserable an event for everyone else as it would be for me," he laughed. "Hence the call to the agency. I thought showing up with another man on my arm would be cringe worthy enough for all those old pureblood bats, but this is even better."

Draco shook his head in confusion. "So… you're not even gay, you're just trying to get even with the Wizengamot?" he asked, a little distressed all of a sudden. He hadn't realized how much he had been counting on adding Harry to his bedpost notches since his old nemesis opened the door earlier. Unconsciously it had been a sure thing, that's what he was paid for after all, but now… now he wasn't so sure, and the doubt made him uneasy.

Other men had only wanted him for casual company, but it was a rare thing, especially once they met him. Suddenly it was all Draco wanted to do; get Potter into bed, own him - just for one night. It would have felt like such an accomplishment. Now it seemed that all he would get was a bland meal and idle chitchat, then have to sit through a boring Ministry ceremony looking over his shoulder for Aurors trying to seize him the whole night. Swell.

Harry laughed. "No, I'm gay… but I've been good at keeping it out of the press till now. Skeeter will have a field day with this one… she was so off the mark about Hermione it's not even funny," Harry laughed.

Draco sighed with relief. Hope was there, plain and true and nearly tangible. He could almost taste Potter already.

Harry leaned in and whispered conspiratorially. "You don't have to worry yourself over it though. I only wanted a date to the gala, I never had any intentions of sleeping with whoever they sent."

Draco almost pouted, but refrained. "That's what I'm here for, Potter. You get the whole package with me… literally." That line had worked on several clients who were initially hesitant, but it didn't seem to work on Potter.

He only shook his head. "I don't pay for sex, Malfoy. Even if I had to, I wouldn't… and I don't have to." Harry slid his chair back and made to leave the room.

"Then why did you call the agency, why not just let some other guy take you to the ceremony?" Draco asked.

"I didn't want to put anyone I cared about through that kind of scrutiny," Harry said at last, not looking back at Draco.

"Ouch, that hurt," Draco replied, a pained expression on his face to match the one in his gut.

Harry met his eyes then, and Draco almost had to look away.

"Sorry, but you asked. I'm nothing if not honest."

"Ever the Gryffindor," Draco said sarcastically to which Harry merely nodded.

"I'll be upstairs getting ready. Make yourself at home, since as you said, it technically is yours," he called from the sitting room.

Authors Note: As always I will accept review in the form of written word, song, dance or food product (magical or otherwise)


	5. Chapter 5 Rule Breaking

Authors Note: I love my beta Alexandra. She's swell.

Chapter 5 Rule Breaking

The perfect escort will not only anticipate the kind of man their client wants in bed, but will also mold themselves into the man for any occasion.

For most clients it's not _only_ about the sex. There is a connection involved and whether it's only a night in, having a meal by the fireplace, or a night on the town at a hip new club, or even a public event or ceremony, it's always important to be the person they want you to be.

The perfect date.

--

Harry looked hot.

Draco tried to shake away the thoughts that threatened to turn this job into a real date. He hadn't had a _real_ date in years, ever since a bad incident with a bloke he met in a bar in Kensington. The minute the guy had found out what Draco did for a living he'd dropped him like a bad habit.

He had plenty of experience being the perfect date, but not much just being himself. That was where the major issues came into play. Harry knew him, the _real _him, and that's what he would want to see, be expecting to see.

He had two very important rules conflicting with one another. Always give the client what they want, and never get too personal. Acting like the real Draco Malfoy would be crossing the line into too personal.

So which rule did he ignore?

He decided upon the latter. One night with Potter wouldn't shatter six years of training. Madame X had prepared him for this. It might even be a test, something he needed to prove to her or himself. He could do this. He could be with Potter one night and he could leave – hopefully the next morning – and he would be exactly the same person as when he'd arrived.

Cold, cunning and unavailable.

On paper the plan worked fine… the execution of it could prove more difficult. Already he was letting old feelings for Potter resurface, old obsessions. He had spent his entire school career seeking this very person's attention, and here he had it. Potter was his for the entire night.

Harry was dressed in a tailored black suit with a black satin shirt underneath. His tie was mostly black as well, except for a vibrant green Celtic knot pattern that laced up the front of it. The color in the tie reflected the color of his eyes, which Draco had always found spectacular.

His robes were simple and black, just like Draco's, but unlike him, Harry looked comfortable in them. Draco had spent too much time out of the wizarding world to feel comfortable in robes now.

Without a word Harry held out his arm to Draco, who slid his through, linking them together, and tried not to focus on how right and natural it felt. Harry was a strong and firm presence beside him. His magic seemed to seep from his pores and flow along Draco's skin, pulling him like a magnet inexorably closer.

"Ready?" Harry whispered, his lips closer than they needed to be for him to be heard.

Draco only nodded, feeling the tightness in his gut from his undeniable attraction to the man beside him. The tightness was filled with a different kind as Harry apparated them both to the alley outside the Ministry building.

"You're going to have to stay beside me all night," Harry said, his voice low and commanding. Suddenly Draco had less doubts about someone Harry's age being in charge of the wizard government. He obviously knew how to take charge. "If you don't stay with me, I won't be able to protect you. You'll be under a fair amount of scrutiny as it is, so just… don't do anything stupid," he added with a grin.

Draco rolled his eyes. "I think I'll be able to handle myself perfectly, Potter," he drawled.

"Good. I'd hate it if you got hurt or arrested," he said. His words gave Draco a slight pause. Harry seemed genuinely concerned and this made Draco both worried and elated. Worried because maybe he should have rethought his acceptance of attending this particular event – one that would no doubt have every Auror in the Britain present for – and elated because Harry might actually care about him.

He shook his head roughly to banish that thought. It didn't matter. Harry knew what he was and that would prevent him from ever getting too close. Harry was the loyal Gryffindor; he wouldn't want to be part of a relationship where the occupation of his boyfriend was to sleep with people other than him.

It certainly wouldn't fly once he became Minister of Magic, which was only moments away.

They made their way into the building in silence and walked through the Floo corridor, deftly ignoring the witches and wizards filing in around them. They were already beginning to whisper about Harry's presence, then about his arriving with another man, and then finally they noticed that the other man was Draco Malfoy, former Death Eater.

They didn't even make it to the checkpoint before a team on Aurors flanked out and stopped them from entering the ballroom. Ron Weasley was at the center of them and Draco inwardly groaned.

"Harry?" the redhead asked, by the tone of his voice it seemed he was suspicious that it wasn't Harry at all.

"Ron," Harry replied with a curt nod of his head.

"What was the first piece of wizarding candy you ever had?" he asked. The question seemed out of place, but Draco recognized the method of sussing out Polyjuice potion users during the war.

Harry smiled. "A chocolate frog, it was on the train with you our first year, and it jumped out the window before I could actually eat it. The trading card was Dumbledore," he added.

Ron nodded, apparently convinced. "Would you mind telling me what the hell you're doing then?" he asked, looking angry.

Continuing to smile, Harry spread his hand out in a peaceful gesture, not unlinking his arm from Draco's. "I'm going to my inaugural ceremony, Ron. I would think that were obvious."

Ron's face turned a shade of red that might have even been darker than his hair. "What I don't understand is what you're doing here with him," he spit. Draco was a little shocked to see Ron speak that way to his best friend and sent a pointed look toward Harry.

His look was ignored, as his eyes remained trained on the line of Aurors, Ron specifically. "Ron, you should know best of all my preference in men," he replied.

If possible, Ron's face grew darker and if Draco wasn't mistaken it took on a hue of purple. "I. Mean. The. Ferret," Ron said, biting out each word.

Harry feigned surprise at the question and Draco had to stifle a snicker. "Oh, you mean Draco?" he asked, his voice still calm and joyful.

Ron looked as though he might leap over and strangle Harry. The other Aurors seemed to notice, because one of them broke rank and stepped forward. "I think the question Mr. Weasley is trying to ask, sir, is why you are escorting a former Death Eater into the Ministry?"

"Thank you for clearing that up Roberts. I'm still confused however, why an issue is being taken with Draco being here," he said politely. Draco's heart was still thumping at the sound of Harry saying his given name. He loved the way it sounded rolling off his tongue and longed to hear it screamed out in the bedroom.

"Draco's been cleared of all charges. I oversaw the case myself," Harry said.

"Maybe we see now why you insisted on taking over his case," Ron shouted. "How long have you been fucking the ferret, Harry? Have you been hiding him all this time?"

Harry rolled his eyes and immediately dropped the pleasant act. He stood a little taller and Draco's heart beat faster at the force of power emanating from his body. "Care to make a formal accusation, Ron? Do you really think that I would harbor a fugitive then have his felon status removed with the Ministry only to bring him out as my date _months_ after I cleared his name? Ron, that's an ignorant theory, even for you," Harry scoffed.

Draco was taken aback by Harry's abrupt and condescending tone. What had happened between these formerly inseparable friends? Furthermore, why had no one even told Draco that Harry had disbanded the charges leveled against him? And beyond that, why had Harry done so? The questions whirled around his head, all the while punctuated by the strong arm, occasionally flexing with power, which was linked to his own.

"That's for the Wizengamot to decide," Ron said at last, a satisfied grin on his face. "Harry Potter, I hereby charge you with Treason, harboring a fugitive and conspiring to clear him of said status through illegal channels," he recited levelly.

Harry smiled, but it was not the pleasant smile of before, it was a twisted menacing grin and it made Ron falter in his steps forward to bind Harry. Instead he waved for one of the lower Aurors to do so. They bound Draco as well and hauled the both of them off to the lifts.

Authors Note: I love reviews and magical baked goods.

--


	6. Chapter 6 Matter of Perspective

Authors Note: Thanks to Alexandra as always for her brilliant beta work with all of my stories. I'm also working on a fluffy oneshot that will probably post tomorrow. I think I'll finish it up today. It will be called Sugar.

Chapter 6 A matter of Perspective

Never get caught with your pants down. That could apply to wives of your clients, old clients while you are with a current one and most importantly law enforcement.

Don't do anything to get arrested. Madame X never told me that directly, but it was probably implied. I never thought I would need to break that particular rule.

--

Harry and Draco were left alone and bound in a room on the second level, just outside Auror headquarters. There were two guards posted outside the door, and no doubt hundreds of wards in place to prevent magical interference.

"So much for protection," Draco muttered.

Harry laughed, and it was genuine mirth this time. "Sorry I didn't warn you, but I was expecting this. Technically you shouldn't need protection, as I said before, I made sure both you and your mother were cleared of all charges, but I know the Ministry doesn't let things slide as easy as that."

Draco's jaw fell open and he had to fight to compose himself. "You knew they were going to arrest you for this, and you still brought me?"

Harry frowned. "I apologized for that, I promise you won't get sentenced to Azkaban or anything…" his voice trailed off as Draco gave him an impatient look.

"I'm not talking about me, Madame X will get me out of here if nothing else, and I'll go back into hiding, no big deal. _You _taking this risk however seemed asinine. You're still buried neck deep in this world, you can't go cutting your head off just to spite people," he lectured.

A small smile curled at the edges of Harry's mouth. "You were worried about me?" he asked, thoroughly amused.

Draco only shrugged, suddenly embarrassed. Harry was right; he should be concerning himself with his own arse, not the tight hot piece of arse strapped in the chair beside him.

"Well, that's sweet, but you don't have to worry about me. Kingsley would never let anything happen to his Minister-to-be," he laughed. "Plus, I did nothing wrong," he added.

"Obviously I know you weren't harboring me, but how did you get my name cleared without me even being here for a trial?" Draco asked, saving the question of _why_ Harry did it for later.

"There was never any proof that you did anything illegal during the war. Everything was just hearsay and there was no real evidence to support even the least of the rumors. I gave my account and memories of the incident in the Astronomy tower and voi' la, you were no longer a fugitive," he said simply.

"Pardon? How do you have any memory of the Astronomy tower?" Draco asked, the sinking in his gut intensified as he thought of the night he nearly killed the headmaster.

Harry raised a delicate looking black eyebrow in question. "Surely you recall the second broom?"

Draco felt confused for a moment but suddenly it all clicked into place. "You were there?"

Harry nodded. "Why do you think I saved your arse so many times during the war? If I had even a suspicion you had killed him I would have let you reap your own consequences."

A twinge of sadness gripped his heart. Part of him had always hoped that his obsession through school had been mirrored by Harry and that it was a mutual affliction. But no, Harry saved his life, not because he felt connected to him, and didn't want to break their bond, but merely because he was a brave Gryffindor who knew right from wrong and always acted accordingly.

Draco had spared Harry the time he was captured and brought to the Manor, because he was tied to him and wouldn't be able to let anything happen to him, not if there was anything he could do to prevent it.

He sighed and remained silent for some time, reflecting on the progression of the day so far. He tried to rid his body of the feelings he had for Harry. Of all the people he had ever known, Harry had the kind of personality that fit precisely against Draco's like a mold. They had enough in common to be compatible and enough issues to have conflict over to stay heated and passionate.

Draco wanted to scream at his mind to shut the hell up and stop looking for things to love about the raven-haired wizard. But he decided he could either look at this as confinement, or alone time with Harry, it was all a matter of perspective. The thing that worried him the most, though, was that his mind was already referring to him as Harry.

"So you really expected this?" he asked at last, when he couldn't stop his traitorous brain from singing Harry's praises.

Harry frowned. "Well, not this exactly. I hadn't expected Ron to push his new position this far, especially since I gave him the promotion, but more or less, yes, I expected it to be somewhat like this."

"What's the deal with the Weasel anyhow?" Draco asked, noting that Harry tensed slightly at the name-calling.

"That's a long story," Harry muttered.

Draco looked around the room dramatically. "I don't know if you've noticed, but we're locked in an office, and who knows when someone will come get us out? I think we have time for a story," Draco said, a subtle smirk on his lips. "Plus, I want to know and you sort of owe me for getting me into this mess," he added mockingly.

Harry rolled his eyes, but laughed in spite of himself. "Did you ever hear about what I was doing during seventh year while everyone else was nice and cozy at Hogwarts?"

"Mother told me you were looking for pieces of Voldemort's soul to destroy. Of course I find all this out _after_ the fact," he mumbled.

"Right, well Ron and Hermione were with me, and during the search, Ron bailed. He just up and left us out in the middle of the woods. He came back… but I never really forgave him for just leaving like that. Things were tense with us after that, and then with him getting together with Hermione, I suddenly became the third wheel, so we drifted apart," Harry said.

Draco scoffed. "The actions I just witnessed were not those of friends who 'drifted apart'," he said, making it sound as foolish as it was. "That sounded much more like a lover's quarrel."

Harry laughed abruptly. "Is that what you were thinking?" he said in between fits of barking laughter. "I never slept with Ron. No, it was much more complicated than all that, which I would have explained if I hadn't been so rudely interrupted," he added with mock frustration.

Draco gestured for him to continue, so he did. "You remember Ginny?"

"She-weasel?" Draco asked.

Harry rolled his eyes and nodded. "Well, we dated. I broke it off before the war, but afterward we got back together. Ron was thrilled, as were all the Weasley's and things were great between us… or at least it looked like it from the outside."

Sighing Harry continued. "Well, I wasn't happy with her, she was petty and a little violent and mostly seemed to like me for my fame, not for me. Meanwhile she seemed to think I was a bore and started sleeping with other men behind my back. Eventually I got so sick of her behavior that I started doing the same."

"I should have just broken it off with her, though I'm sure Ron would still be pissed at me, but instead I let it go on until I got caught. And by Ron, no less," he groaned.

"For awhile I couldn't tell if he was more upset about me cheating on Gin, or that I was gay. In the end I think the disgust for both issues was about even and he decided he hated me, and that I wasn't the person he thought I had been," he said quietly. "Which is true really, I'm not at all who he thought I was… I'm not what anyone really thinks I am," he added with a casual shrug, as if he weren't carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"I think I know who you are," Draco whispered, more to himself than to Harry.

"Oh?" Harry asked, amusement coating his voice. He turned and looked at Draco, giving him the full weight of his magnificent green gaze. Their faces were only inches apart and Draco could smell the sweet scent of Harry's breath, a combination of chocolate and citrus fruit. "By all means, enlighten me," Harry said, his voice low and suggestive.

Draco swallowed thickly, not really wanting to voice what he thought about Harry. Thinking these things and saying them out loud held different consequences.

"I think you're a reluctant hero," Draco began, and narrowed his eyes when Harry scoffed at the word hero. "You don't see yourself as a hero but you are, you just don't want to be. You had the problems of a world you didn't even know existed, thrust upon you as a small boy. You were lied to and manipulated. You had people you loved ripped away from you because of your destiny, but you refused to give up and you refused to back down. That's heroic."

"You're also humble and shy, and you enjoy isolation. Competing with that is your natural ability to lead and to command, things you would rather suppress but cannot. You're loyal and when you care about someone you would never give up on them. I bet you'd still take the weasel back even after all this if he asked," Draco said softly.

Harry just stared at him for a moment, a mixture of emotions flickering through his emerald orbs. A second later Draco couldn't breath, because his mouth was being covered by Harry's. It took him a minute to realize that he was being kissed, and thoroughly, but only seconds to return the kiss with everything he had.

It was by far the best kiss he had ever experienced. Their lips pressed together with crushing force and their tongues tangled with fevered heat. Harry nipped at his lower lip and Draco made a muffled whimper born of sheer pleasure. His only wish was that his hands were unbound so that he could pull Harry closer.

He tasted like joy, like the emotion had been bottled and concentrated and poured over his tongue and down his throat. Never had he felt so close to someone, so elated, and so afraid, all at the same time.

Harry broke the kiss a moment later and looked away sheepishly. "I'm sorry…" he muttered, still not looking at Draco's face.

Draco was confused. Mostly by his conflicting feelings for Harry the person and Harry the client. That had been the singularly, most amazing kiss he had ever had, and Draco had a lot to compare it to, and he had no idea what Harry was apologizing for.

Unless…

And the answer hit him across the heart like the Hogwarts Express with Harry's next words. "I didn't mean to lead you on. I just… I felt like I needed to kiss you. It was selfish and I'm sorry."

Draco took a moment to swallow his pain and replaced it with a mask of indifference. "You hardly need to apologize. You paid me to be here, Potter. You're the client and you do what you want. Don't think for a second that I've forgotten my place in the all this," Draco said haughtily.

Harry's eyes went wide for just a moment and then he nodded. "Right, sorry. I'm sure you're a professional, I didn't mean to suggest otherwise. I just meant what I said earlier about having no intentions of sleeping with you, and I didn't want you to think I had changed my mind," he said diplomatically.

Draco nodded and tried to ignore the hurt that he imagined in Harry's voice. "Well, like I said, I'm here to do whatever you like. Though I'm starting to doubt if we'll ever get out of here… I might have to charge extra for imprisonment," he added jokingly.

Harry didn't seem to hear him and was staring intently at the door. A second later Minister Kinsley walked through, followed by Ron.

The Minister waved his wand, releasing them both from their binds. "Harry, I'm terribly sorry about all this," Kingsley said, seemingly honest. "The charged Mr. Weasley leveled against you will be thrown out if you just submit to an interview with veritaserum," he said.

Harry nodded and smiled at the scowling Ron. "Gladly. I'm sure you'll find no law has been broken here."

"I'm certain you're right, Harry," Kingsley agreed and his gaze moved to Draco. "Will you also submit?"

"Why?" Draco asked, startled. Charges hadn't even been made against him.

"Protocol," he replied automatically.

He was very close to protesting, but decided he would rather get the hell out of there than debate ethics with the Ministry, so he nodded his agreement.

Authors Note: I just wanted to give extra thanks to everyone that reviews. I really enjoy reading all of them


	7. Chapter 7 Impression

Authors Note: Many thanks to my beta Alexandra, who is da bomb, and I don't give such a highly cheesy compliment to just anyone.

Chapter 7 Impression

Never look a gift horse in the mouth. If a client wishes to give you something, take it and thank them. If you refuse it, they'll most likely get insulted, and you don't want that.

Plus, who doesn't like presents and favors?

--

It had been easy enough to evade the charges leveled against Harry, seeing as they had done nothing wrong. Ron fumed over it, but eventually conceded that he had been mistaken. He shot Harry venomous glares throughout the entire process and refused to look at him even once after Harry had been deemed innocent.

"I suggest you apologize, Mr. Weasley. You've just accused the Minister of Magic of treason. He could have your job," Kingsley advised.

"He's not the Minister yet," Ron spat.

"Yes, actually he is. He became Minister about an hour ago," Kingsley replied.

"But, he was in a cell," Ron sputtered. "The ceremony was put on hold."

"The ceremony is just a show, Mr. Weasley. He became Minister at midnight. The gala will be put off until next weekend," Kingsley added, shooting an apologetic look to Harry, who had groaned at the admission.

"You mean I still didn't get out of it? All this, and they are still going to make me give a speech and dance and have dinner with a bunch of strangers?" Harry grumbled.

Kinsley narrowed his eyes. "Don't you dare tell me you orchestrated this nonsense just to get out of the gala?"

Harry shrugged. "I couldn't have planned it to go this well, but, well, let's just say I know the Weasley temper all too well."

"A fine minister you're going to turn out to be. Shirking your first gala and organizing trumped up legal charges," he muttered playfully.

"Hey, you're the one who wanted me in office," Harry noted with a laugh.

"Does anyone find the fact that Potter orchestrated this whole thing _not_ amusing?" Draco asked.

Harry and Kingsley both laughed. Ron scowled but didn't look like he was going to be voluntarily agreeing with a Malfoy anytime soon. Harry threw his arm around Draco's shoulders. "Are you saying you didn't enjoy being bound to me for the evening?" he asked.

Draco swallowed thickly. "That's not what I said."

Harry winked and placed a chaste kiss on Draco's cheek. Ron made fake hurling sounds and Harry whirled on him. "Mr. Weasley, you are hereby relieved of Auror duty. I apparently made a mistake by awarding you with that promotion. Consider yourself dismissed from the Ministry." His tone was light and slightly pained. He hated doing this to Ron, but he felt he had no choice.

"You're going to regret this, Harry," Ron snarled before stomping away, shedding his Auror robes and flinging them across the room.

Harry sighed and leaned into Draco slightly. "Home?" he asked.

"Which home?" Draco asked hopefully.

"Mine," Harry said with a wink.

Excitement pulled Draco along as he followed Harry from the Auror offices and back to the entrance lobby. They flooed into Harry's den and he placed a warm kiss on Draco's cheek upon arrival.

"Thank you for putting up with my nonsense tonight, Malfoy," he said while crossing the room and heading toward the stairs.

Draco shrugged and followed him. "It's my job," he said quickly, without thinking.

Harry paused at the banister, looked at Draco and sighed. "I know. Sometimes I almost forget." He walked up the stairs to the next landing and turned around. "Maybe if we had met again under different circumstances…" his voice trailed off and Draco's stomach plummeted.

"Right. I get it," Draco replied. "The Minister of Magic can't be sullying his body with a whore," Draco spat and turned away, heading toward the door.

"Malfoy, that's not what I meant," Harry sighed.

"Oh? Then what is it? Afraid of diseases? Because I can assure you I have none. Or are you afraid for your reputation? Though I highly doubt that given the display this evening," Draco huffed. He wanted to stop himself, but couldn't seem to. He was actually berating a client into sleeping with him, which was ridiculous. He got paid either way, so it shouldn't matter… but it did.

"No. No it's none of that, Malfoy," Harry spat. "Please stop pretending that you know so much about me," he huffed.

Draco cringed and stepped back. "I think I can find my own way out," he said.

Harry stared at him for a moment longer and finally nodded before turning around and walking up the stairs and out of sight.

--

The drive home went by too quickly. Draco pressed his foot against the pedal with all the might he could muster and sped the entire way back toward London, though as soon as he closed in on the city, he was slowed down by the inevitable traffic all around him.

It gave him time to think, and Draco didn't want to think.

He didn't want to think about yelling at a client for not wanting to sleep with him. He didn't want to think about the fact that he was with Harry when he became Minister, or how good Harry looked in his dress robes, or how powerful and menacing he was toward Ron, and he certainly didn't want to think about that mind-blowing kiss.

Draco had plenty of experience with kissing, you could even call him a connoisseur, and that, by far, had been one of the best. He was loath to admit it, but he was falling for a client, and that client was none other than Harry Fucking Potter.

It was infuriating. Even years after the war the prat got under his skin in ways no one else ever could.

He had almost reached his building when his phone chirped. "Malfoy," he answered abruptly, still lost in thought. He was going to have to tell Madame X what happened before Harry got a chance to, and he was not looking forward to that conversation.

"Congratulations Draco, I've just heard from Minister Potter and you got a glowing review," she said.

"What?" Draco asked, before he could stop himself.

"Were you expecting otherwise," she asked suspiciously.

"I was just surprised you spoke to him already. When I left he was headed for bed." That much was true anyway.

"Well, he seemed wide awake and quite thrilled with your performance. You'll have to tell me all about the things our new Minister enjoys in bed," she cackled.

"I wish I could," Draco muttered.

"What was that?" she asked.

"He didn't want to sleep with me," he said. There was nothing wrong with admitting that, several clients throughout the years had declined sex for various reasons of their own. Though Harry was the only one Draco had ever yelled at for it.

Madame X made thoughtful noises on the other end of the line. "That's so odd, because he mentioned how beautiful you were and what a pleasure your company was."

Draco's heart skipped at Harry's words, though he would have liked to hear them from him instead of through Madame X. "Did he? Well I suppose I made the perfect spectacle for him."

"You sound bitter," she said.

"No, as I said, I was just surprised. I was under the impression he only wanted me there to cause a scene, and nothing more. I did my part," he said truthfully. "You knew what he wanted me for, didn't you?"

Madame X laughed. "Nothing gets by you, Draco dear. Yes, I always know what the client's intended use for my men are. I need to filter out the crazies."

"Did he know who you were sending?" Draco asked, feeling suddenly quite thoroughly used, more so than he had felt since that first night with Caleb years before.

"No, I only assured him I had the perfect bloke for the job. And I did, didn't I?" she laughed.

"Yes. I suppose you did," Draco said.

"Well, keep up the good work, and we'll chat again in the morning," she said quickly before hanging up.

Draco sighed and let the news wash over him. So Harry hadn't gone to his boss and ratted him out. That only meant that he was a decent guy, right? It certainly didn't mean that Harry had any feelings for him.

--

The next morning Draco padded groggily to his front door. The bell had been rung over and over and Draco was too sleepy to get up and answer it. He had come home the previous evening and tried to drink away the thoughts of Harry.

It hadn't worked.

He yanked open the door to reveal someone he thought to be his boss, masked by a bouquet of purple orchids. She extended them out for Draco to take.

"You shouldn't have," he muttered.

"I didn't," she said as soon as he got the flowers out of her face. "They were on the doorstep when I arrived. Beautiful, beautiful," she chimed.

Draco stared at the beautiful arrangement and then ran into the kitchen to put them in a vase. He parted the stems but didn't see a card. "Do you know who they're from?" he asked.

"Oh," she replied, blushing slightly and rummaging in her pockets. She handed Draco a small yellow card and smiled sheepishly as he scowled at her. "I took the liberty of reading it… to make sure they weren't from a stalker," she added.

"Right," Draco huffed, but made no bigger deal from it. Madame X loved gossip and there was nothing he would ever be able to do to dissuade that, so he didn't waste his breath.

He opened the card and a slight smile curled on his lips.

_Despite what you probably think, I had a lovely time with you last night. If someone had told me back at school that one day I would be taking Draco Malfoy as my date to my Minister of Magic induction gala, I would have hexed them. I did have fun with you though, and I hope we see each other under better circumstances soon._

_Yours,_

_HJP_

"It seems you made quite an impression on our young Minister, Draco," she chimed.

"It does seem that way," Draco agreed. He only wished he knew what that meant.

Authors Note: I know it's not the longest chapter, but I'll be posting an extra one this week since I'll be on vaca for a few days. The next chapter is longer I think...


	8. Chapter 8 Danger

Authors Note: This chapter originally had Colin Creevy as Harry's assistant, but a reader reminded me that Colin died (who could possibly keep up with everyone that did lol) so in order to stay as true to cannon as possible, I have replaced Colin with his brother Dennis.

Chapter 8 Danger

It's not my place to say what Draco does is wrong. People make their own choices in life and what works for everyone else just might not work for them. One would think that someone as handsome, smart, and witty as Draco wouldn't need to be an escort, but that's probably why he's so good at it.

It's not in me to judge him.

--

Harry walked briskly from his new office toward the lift, his assistant Dennis in tow. The Creevy boy had been a menace in school, but as his assistant Dennis's habits of obsessing over and studying Harry's every movement made him invaluable. He managed to anticipate things Harry could never hope to even ask for.

"What's on the agenda today, Dennis?" he asked as they entered the lift.

"Really sir, I don't know why you always insist on using the public lifts," Dennis replied, ignoring the question and looking over his clipboard notes.

"Why shouldn't I use these?" Harry asked amused. He had this conversation with Dennis no less than once a week.

"You have a dedicated and private lift for your use alone, sir. It's a matter of safety," he added.

The safety angle was a new one. Harry smiled and went with it. "Safety eh?"

"Yes, sir," he answered, nodding his head knowingly. "If someone were to want to hurt you, or Merlin forbid assassinate you, they could get to you very easily if trapped alone in a public lift."

"Ah, but wouldn't it be easier to track me down if I used my own private lift?" Harry asked, still smiling.

Dennis sighed, having lost the argument again. "Yes, sir. I suppose it would sir."

Harry patted him on the back and laughed. "It's okay Dennis, you can try again next week."

"Yes, sir," he mumbled. "Today you have a meeting with the Auror department and you need to assign a new department head and assistant head."

"Kingsley is going back to his department head position. He asked me about it yesterday and I agreed," Harry noted.

"Very good sir, then only assistant head needs to be assigned. After that you have a lunch meeting with the Magical Species United committee."

"You mean Hermione?" Harry asked with a laugh. He found Dennis's firm following of protocol very amusing and decided to have a bit of fun breaking some of his habits.

Dennis rolled his eyes. "Yes, Ms. Granger, sir."

Harry laughed again. "It's Mrs. Weasley, Dennis."

The boy blushed and scribbled furiously on his clipboard. "You're right sir, so sorry sir."

Harry turned to Dennis and frowned. "Dennis, look at me. You really need to stop being so formal with me. I'm still the same Harry you went to school with."

"You're Minister Potter, sir, and I intend to be the best assistant any Minister has ever had, because you deserve the best sir," Dennis said, puffing out his chest and standing a bit taller.

Harry sighed and resigned to letting Dennis be his tightly wound self for the moment. Big changes may never happen, but over time Harry would get Dennis to relax a little more around him. Dennis continued to rattle on about meetings he had scheduled in the afternoon and the lift arrived at the first level for law enforcement and Auror offices.

"What about the flowers?" Harry asked abruptly, interrupting Dennis talking about a delegate from Africa coming at the end of the week.

"Flowers, sir?" Dennis asked, completely distracted by his broken train of thought.

"The flowers I sent to Malfoy, has there been any reply?" Harry asked.

Dennis frowned. "No, sir. No reply as of yet. Would you like me to send something else?"

Harry shook his head quickly. "No. He's probably still angry with me."

"Why don't you go and speak with him. I can rearrange your schedule to give you an hour this afternoon," Dennis replied, already running his wand over the daily agenda moving things around.

Harry put his hand firmly over Dennis's. "No, I won't be going to see him."

"But Harry… sir… I thought you liked him?" Dennis asked, blushing at his slip.

Smiling at his progress with Dennis, Harry nodded. "I do. I like him a lot… far more than I should actually. That's the problem."

"I'm not following," Dennis said, looking quite perplexed.

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair, a nervous gesture he had developed as a boy and never seemed to get rid of. "I'm not some lothario, Dennis. When date a man, it's not for casual sex, in fact, I don't even have sex with someone unless we're in an exclusive relationship. I learned that the hard way."

Dennis nodded, understanding. He had been Harry's assistant as head of the Auror department and could surely remember the scandalous interviews given to the _Profit _and to _Witch Weekly_ from Harry's former lovers. It had been a rough few weeks.

"So his job…" Dennis said, letting his voice trail off.

"Is a bit of a problem for me. I won't date a man who's not monogamous, and Draco is the antithesis of monogamy," Harry sighed.

"Sir, you just called him Draco," Dennis noted.

Harry sighed. "Right. Thanks for pointing that out. I need to nip this in the bud right now before it gets out of hand. Make a note not to let me talk about Dra- Malfoy anymore," Harry said and proceeded into the Auror offices.

--

"Auror Roberts," Harry shouted as he walked into the room.

A brunette head popped up over the row of cubicles and the woman's blue eyes went wide as she saw Harry approach. Harry smiled and extended his hand for her to shake and she did so with shy enthusiasm.

She was tall and wearing standard issue Auror robes and her brown hair was pulled up into a ponytail and way from her face. "How are you today Amy?" he asked.

She laughed nervously and smiled. "I'm well, sir, and you?"

"I'm wonderful. I'm here to choose a new assistant head for the department. Can you think of anyone who might fit the bill?" he asked.

Amy fidgeted slightly, and judging by the look of her nails, she desperately wanted to chew them. "I'm not sure, sir. Auror Lovegood is quite intuitive and Auror Finnigan has a very high capture record," she replied.

Harry nodded and pretended to think it over. "Yes, both are quite good, but I could never take them out of the field. A good assistant head needs to be good with people and diffusing situations. I think you are more suited to that task."

"Sir?" she asked.

"You showed a level head and the want and ability to intercede when you saw things getting out of hand a few weeks ago. I think you have great potential, and I'm making you assistant head of the department. Kingsley will be back next week and you'll answer directly to him," Harry said with a smile.

Amy's eyes went wide again and she laughed. "Do you mean it sir?"

Harry nodded and she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. Harry laughed and Amy withdrew quickly and muttered an apology.

"It's okay. I hope to hear great things about you, Auror Roberts," Harry said as he turned and left.

He sighed and smiled to himself. Those were the parts of the position he liked, giving people good news and promotions. He was about to have to do something he didn't like though, and that was having a lunch meeting with Hermione.

He assumed she would be livid over the incident between him a Ron a few weeks back, and she had every right to be. He had been avoiding her easily enough until she decided to set up a formal meeting as committee leader instead of just lunch with Hermione.

It was very sneaky.

One should always be weary of a sneaky Hermione.

--

"Harry James Potter, you've been avoiding me," Hermione said as soon as he stepped into his office. Dennis cringed and shut the door promptly with himself on the other side.

"Coward," Harry whispered in jest and then turned his attention to Hermione. She was sitting in the chair across from Harry's new desk and giving him her best impression of a stern McGonagall look.

Harry smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. Very busy, new job and all."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Too busy to come a visit your best friend after you've sacked her husband?"

Harry winced. "Sorry about that."

"Don't be," she said. "I would have fired him too. He was a right prat and had no right to do what he did, but that's our Ronald," she sighed. "Always the hothead. But don't worry, he's gotten quite the dressing down from me and Molly."

"That might have been worse for him than losing his job," Harry said, cringing.

Hermione nodded. "I'm sure it was. Anyhow, I just wanted to see you, see how you were doing. I heard this whole incident was over Draco Malfoy?"

Harry laughed. "Come for the juicy gossip, have you?"

Hermione blushed. "I just hadn't known you kept in touch with him."

"I didn't," Harry said and began to fill her in on everything that happened the night he became Minister.

"You are so childish sometimes," she said, shaking her head. "This is a great honor, Harry. There has never been a Minister as young as you in the history of the Ministry, and you wanted to put it all in jeopardy to make the Wizengamot uncomfortable?"

"Well, when you put it that way it sounds much less intelligent, but I was frustrated, Mione. Surely you can understand that?" Harry sighed.

"And Malfoy, is he to be a regular now?" she asked tentatively.

Harry shook his head. "I don't think so, no. I haven't seen or spoke to him since."

She frowned slightly. "I'm sorry, Harry. It sounds like it upsets you."

"It does," he relied honestly. "I actually like him, more than I've liked a guy in… well ever. But his job… and you know me; I'm a little possessive. I could never deal with him being with anyone else. I just need to let it go."

Hermione nodded. "It's reasonable to want to be with someone who only wants to be with you, Harry. I think it's healthy that you've already taken note of it and decided not to dwell on it."

"If only it were that easy," Harry muttered. "I kissed him."

"Oh no, Harry, you didn't? You didn't sleep with him did you?" she asked. "I know how you get once you've slept with someone."

Harry narrowed his eyes. "And how do I get?"

"You know what I mean. You never sleep with a guy unless it's serious, and then if something goes wrong after that it crushes you," she said softly.

"I know. I shouldn't have even kissed him. Now I can't stop thinking about him," he groaned, flopping back into his chair dramatically.

"Was it good?" she asked.

Harry groaned again. "It was brilliant, Mione. You have no idea, best kiss ever."

She pouted prettily. "Even better than when you and I kissed?" she asked.

Harry feigned gagging noises. "Of course, it was twelve thousand times better than that," he said. They had kissed once prior to her marrying Ron. She had wanted to make sure she was making the right choice, and Harry had wanted to make certain he would never have any real attraction to women. They had both hated it and it had become a secret running joke between them ever since.

"Wow. That's impressive. Daniel only got a ten times better," she said. Daniel had been Harry's last boyfriend.

"He used too much tongue," Harry said simply. He had managed to stay friends with most of his ex's, at least the ones that hadn't run to the tabloids, so it was easy to think about them now.

"Well, just be careful with this whole Malfoy thing. I don't want this to be another Jacob," she said.

Jacob had been Harry's first long-term boyfriend, and he found out later that Jacob had been cheating on him the entire time. It broke Harry's heart and it took quite some time to get over. "I don't want that either, which is why I'm staying away."

Hermione shook her head. "I'm telling you to be careful, because you won't be able to stay away," she said, her chocolate brown eyes going serious.

"I will, I just said-"

"No, Harry, that's why I'm here. Malfoy is in danger," she said quietly.

Authors Note: Please review


	9. Chapter 9 Repeat Client

Authors Note: I'm back!! Okay, so here is the chapter after that terrible cliffhanger I left you all with. Many thanks as always to my favorite beta Alexandra. Also, if you have not already seen, I posted the first chapter of my newest story titled Rivaling Affections, please check it out and let me know what you think of it.

Chapter 9 Repeat Client

The best client is a repeat client. It's not terribly hard to imagine someone wishing to see you again after such an experience as the ones I give them, but most people are shy, or prefer to change escorts simply for a different flavor.

So it's unlikely that more than a small percentage will even ask to see you again, and even more rare that they become regulars. I only have two regulars, and I'm the best escort in the company, so that should tell you something right there.

--

The pavement was slick and hard under his trainers as Draco went for his morning run. He preferred the little park by the Thames, but as it had been raining all night, the new the block around his building would be less… moist.

The moisture reeked havoc on his hair.

Not that it really mattered, as he would take a long hot shower the moment he set foot inside his flat, but still, he hated the sticky way his hair plastered to his face when it was humid out. In theory, it wasn't much different than when his hair was soaked with sweat from a glorious sex romp, only exercise was not sex, and sex was not exercise. He didn't care what anyone said. Sex was fun, exercise was work. Though, if Draco wanted to be truthful with himself, he'd realize that sex was work as well, at least for him.

But he hadn't thought of it that way in years.

It was still all about the challenge and the conquest. He never backed down from a client, even when they refused their beds. He would be persistent until their date came to an end and he went on to a new challenge. Most of the time the rejections faded away in his mind like a popped soap bubble, never to be thought of again. Why should he care really? It wasn't as if Draco had sought these people out. Quite the opposite, in fact.

The last few weeks had been sheer torture for him, though.

First Harry rejected him—and not for the first time. He felt Harry's turning him away the same as he felt his rejection of Draco's offered hand on the train that morning, their first day of school. It seemed to be a running theme between them, and it rankled Draco to no end.

What was worse was that Draco couldn't forget it. He couldn't stop thinking of things he could have done differently, things he could have said that might have made a difference. He thought there might have been something behind the flowers sent to him, but then there was no contact afterward, no date scheduled either through Madame X or himself directly, not that she would have allowed that.

Though, for Harry she might have made an exception. There was something about him that made her break her own rules, and it intrigued Draco. For a moment he had even entertained letting Harry whisk him away from this life like some bright and shiny knight on his brilliant white steed.

Though that would have required Harry _wanting_ him, and that was obviously not the case, no matter how wistful Draco's thoughts could be.

The fact of it was, he had seen his old rival and gotten too close. Not that Harry helped matters by being so delicious and powerful and impossible to get, but still, the blame was with Draco. He knew better. He knew not to let himself get attached; it was escort 101.

Draco finished his jog, happy that it rarely took more than that to keep himself in shape. He thanked his mother on a daily basis that he inherited her metabolism. He rode the lift up to the twentieth floor and nodded to Vladimir who was on guard duty that morning.

Vladimir held up his hand to stop Draco, but he shook his head. "Can it wait? I need a shower Vlad. I feel sticky," he complained. Vladimir only shrugged and chuckled to himself. Draco didn't know what was so amusing but didn't feel like stopping to guess.

He was shedding his clothes the moment he opened the door, tossing them on the floor as he went. He'd pick them up later after he was clean. He padded nude to the fridge and opened the door, peering at its contents. It was mostly filled with juice, water and alcohol as he rarely ate at home. He grabbed a bottle of water and took a long drink, then held the bottle over his head and let it trickle down slowly, cooling his sweat slicked body.

A small cough brought his attention across the bar and into the living room. The floor plan of the loft was very open and exposed, and standing naked in the kitchen, so was Draco. He moved to place himself in front of the lower counter and glared across the room at his intruder.

Harry was leaning on the edge of Draco's desk against the far wall of windows, his body in profile with the beautiful sunrise behind him. The pinks and oranges of it played a kaleidoscope of colors on his sun kissed face. He was wearing a simple but well cut pair of dark gray trousers and a green button-less shirt. The green brought out his eyes, which Draco would not have missed regardless of Harry's shirt color. He only wished he could see them sparkling with lust as they did for a moment right before they kissed.

And what a kiss it was.

"Are you usually so unconcerned for your safety?" Harry asked with a grin.

Draco attempted to banish the blushing pink from his cheeks and hoped it could be explained away with exertion from the jog he was just on. "I have a guard if you didn't notice," he said casually, suddenly realizing what Vladimir thought was so amusing in the hall. Draco made a note to never again brush off any of the goons.

"I did. I also noticed that he didn't even bother to make me prove who I was," Harry added, looking slightly disgruntled.

"I'll speak to Madame X about it," Draco replied. "How did you even find me? Madame X doesn't give out my address to clients."

"I came to her as Minister, not a client," Harry replied.

"Already using your title to get your way, I see," Draco said tersely. It hadn't seemed like Harry had wanted the mantle, but maybe it was just an act after all. Our humble hero Harry Potter.

Harry winced at Draco's words. "This was important, not some personal errand," he said.

"So what is it you want exactly?" Draco said, almost forgetting his state of undress and walking over to where Harry was standing.

"I want you to come stay with me for awhile," he replied casually.

Draco knew his gray eyes were wide, but couldn't seem to stop them from betraying his emotions. Hope ran through him like a summer breeze, hope that Harry wanted him and would keep him. He swallowed thickly and tried to control his voice as he spoke. "I'm sure I don't understand. Are you hiring me for an extended vacation?"

It happened occasionally, when a client would require his services over an extended period of time, a long weekend for instance, or an out of town business trip. Those times were usually dreadfully dull, as he would find himself stuck in a hotel room or vacation home for hours with no company.

"If that's what it takes to get you to my home, it can be arranged," Harry said with a frown. "I had hoped…" Harry let his voice trail off and he looked behind him out the floor to ceiling windows, not meeting Draco's eyes.

"Hoped what?" Draco asked, full of curiosity.

Harry kept staring out the window for several moments but eventually turned to face Draco again. This time his eyes were hard and he wore a blank mask of indifference, which made Draco wonder what thoughts he was trying to keep from him. "Nothing. Just pack a bag. I'll work out the details with Madame X," Harry said evenly.

Draco crossed his arms over his chest and felt like stomping his foot. He felt like petulant child, but Harry was hiding something from him and he didn't like it. "Do I even get to know how long I'll be away from my own home?" he asked, putting all of his annoyance into the question.

Harry took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Pack for a week. If it ends up being longer, I'll send someone for more of your things."

A thrill ran down Draco's spine at the idea of spending a week alone with Harry, but he shoved it quickly away. Harry was behaving oddly, and even if he weren't, he had made it clear to Draco how he felt about his profession and the fact that he wouldn't be sleeping with him. Draco couldn't let himself live in the delusion that Harry had somehow changed his mind.

"And what should I be packing for? Will we be at your house?" he asked and Harry only nodded.

"Should I pack lightly? Or can I expect to be fully dressed most of the time?" he added with a scowl, trying to relay his displeasure at Harry's previous rejection.

Harry sighed and closed his eyes. "My original statement holds true, Malfoy. I have no intentions of sleeping with you. I don't pay for sex," he added, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Draco had a thought and decided to run with it. He walked out from behind the cabinets concealing most of his form and stepped out into the living room. He still kept several meters out of Harry's reach, but let Harry see him, really see him. "What if I gave you a round on the house?" he asked, testing his theory. Maybe it really was the idea of paying for it that threw him.

Harry's tongue flicked out and ran lightly over his bottom lips before he bit down on it and shook his head. "I just can't do it, Malfoy," he said, turning around so as not to be able to see Draco standing naked in front of him any longer.

"Do I repulse you?" Draco asked, wishing his voice hadn't sounded so broken.

"No," Harry replied a little too quickly. "You're very… your lovely, Malfoy. You know that."

Draco nodded, though Harry still wasn't looking at him, so he wouldn't have seen. Draco did know that he was attractive, but being with Harry made him doubt what he had always seen in the mirror. Harry seemed like one of those 'what matters is on the inside' types of guys. Maybe what Harry saw when he looked at Draco was something different altogether? A Death Eater.

"I'm not sure that my ego will survive a week with you, Potter," he said suddenly.

Harry turned back to face him then, his eyes reflecting concern and apology for a brief second before going cold and hard again. "It's really not you, Malfoy. It's me."

"Right. Do you really think I haven't heard that one before?" Draco scoffed.

Harry shrugged. "It doesn't make it any less true just because someone else has said it," he replied simply.

Draco huffed and walked away. Apparently he wasn't getting any more information out of Harry, and he still desperately wanted a shower. He walked into the room, covered with iridescent green glass tiles and stepped under the spray of the four showerheads aiming on various places on his body.

He thought about hurrying since he had Potter in the living room waiting on him, but he doubted that he would get this good a shower in any of Harry's bathrooms. The man didn't seem to revel in luxury the way Draco liked to. It was nearly half an hour later when Draco emerged and wiped a circle in the foggy mirror with his fist. He stared at himself for a long time.

Could he do this? Could he leave with Harry and keep his emotions in tact? He would have to, he resolved.

With a pale blue towel around his waist he went into his bedroom, which overlooked the living area, and peered at Harry. He was restlessly pacing back and forth in front of Draco's television and glancing occasionally at the door.

Something was up.

Draco went to his closet and threw together a bag of essentials and grabbed his phone. He dialed the number that was most familiar to his fingertips and waited for Madame X to answer.

"Yes, Draco," she said at once.

"I just wanted to confirm that you wished for me to leave with Potter," he said simply, keeping his voice down so as not to echo the sound around the concrete loft.

"Yes. Go with him, do exactly as he asks," she replied.

"Don't I always?" he said with a huff.

"Draco, this is important," she said firmly with a touch of concern.

"What in Merlin's name is going on?" he asked suddenly. He didn't know Harry's moods well enough to know what was happening, but he could tell it was something. Madame X, however, he knew as well as he knew himself, and she was worried about something.

"Draco, go to Harry," she said simply before hanging up.

Draco threw the phone on the bed and stared at it for a long moment before grabbing it and putting it in the bag with the rest of his things. He threw the rucksack over his shoulder and walked down the concrete stairs that would lead him to Harry.

Go to Harry, she had said.

"I'm ready," he said at last, ignoring the glare Harry gave him.

"Took you long enough," he huffed. "Bloody prima donna," he muttered under his breath while walking toward the door. Draco followed with a snicker at Harry's annoyance, which quickly turned into a scowl as he spied Vladimir in the hall.

"Hope he didn't see anything," the hulking man said as they went to the elevator. Draco shot him a rude gesture, which only made Vladimir laugh, and followed Harry into the lift.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Draco asked as soon as the door shut.

"Is there a safe apparition point close by?" Harry asked instead of answering Draco.

"We could apparate from here if you wanted," Draco said with a shrug.

Harry nodded. He held out his hand with a soft smile and Draco took it. "Ready?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "I don't have a choice do I?" he said before thinking.

Harry dropped his hand instantly, as if burned. "You always have a choice," he hissed.

Draco took a deep breath and studied Harry's eyes as he let it out. They were like liquid green flames, threatening to leap out and burn Draco's skin. "I didn't mean it that way exactly. I just meant that it's my job."

Harry sighed and shook his head. "That's your choice, too," he said before grabbing Draco's arm and apparating them both to Grimmauld Place.

--

Authors Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed while I was away, I tried to respond to everyone yesterday. As always, I love reviews and in honor of my recent trip I will be accepting reviews in the form of written word, Philly cheesesteaks, soft pretzels and NY style pizza slices. :)


	10. Chapter 10 Protector

Authors Note: A million and two thanks to Alexandra for her diligent work as my beta for all my current WIP stories. I also wanted to say, I have the best readers ever! This story (and a couple others) have already cleared over 200 reviews! I'm so excited I could kiss you all! I know the last chapter was fairly uneventful, but that was because it was building up for this chapter, which has a little bit more going on...

Chapter 10 Protector

It doesn't do to dwell on things that can never be. One of the first things you must understand is that you only have so much control in any given situation, and sometimes, things just don't go the way you want them to.

It's no ones fault, just a fact of life. So you shouldn't try to push an issue, and you can't beat yourself up over any particular outcome.

--

They arrived at Grimmauld Place entrance in off balance fashion. Harry's sudden apparition must have taken Draco by surprise, because he fell upon landing on the front stoop, and brought Harry down, unceremoniously on top of him.

Their noses were nearly touching they were so close.

They stayed that way for far longer than was necessary, each breathing heavily and staring into the other's surprised eyes. It was only when Draco made a move to kiss him that Harry leapt off of him with a curse and nearly toppled backwards in his haste.

Draco looked angry and frustrated as he pulled himself from the concrete landing. "You could have given me some warning," Draco fumed.

"Well, it's done, sorry you landed on your arse," he said with a crooked grin.

"Is this the hospitality I have to look forward to?" Draco asked with a huff.

Harry shrugged. "Most likely. I don't know how to be any other way."

"Great," Draco muttered, rolling his eyes and following Harry into the gaping Manor that was his home.

Harry was pleased to note that Draco's demeanor was less flirtatious than before. Something he had said must have finally stuck. Part of him had hoped that things would have gone differently, which was why he purposefully made the request for Draco to join him here open ended.

Either way, Harry was going to do everything he could to protect Draco, but he had made the offer for him to stay ambiguous to see where Draco's head was. Was he interested in Harry outside of the client/escort dynamic?

And clearly the answer was 'no'.

Draco had immediately jumped to the question of being hired. Harry slightly resented that Draco wouldn't come with him of his own free will, not that Harry minded spending the money. He would gladly give every galleon in his vault to keep Draco safe, and that was where his real resentment came into play.

He liked Draco more than Draco liked him.

It wasn't Malfoy's fault that Harry had feelings for him, he knew he shouldn't, but it didn't make the rejection sting any less.

He couldn't even pinpoint exactly what it was about Draco that made Harry like him so much. The little speech he made about 'knowing Harry' was part of it, of course, but surely that was just part of his act to be the perfect escort.

No, what he had said that evening while they were locked up had touched Harry, as did their kiss afterward, but if he really thought about it, he would know exactly what it was.

Harry had always had feelings for Malfoy.

Not necessarily the feelings he had now, though he didn't even begin to know what to make of those, but strong feelings running the gamut of every emotion he could ever remember feeling. What was once barely restrained anger toward the eleven-year-old boy had morphed into pity, then into seething hatred, and then finally acceptance and understanding.

Draco had been in the worse place out of the two of them during the war, after all. Harry's parents were gone, nothing but a dream and a faded memory, but Draco's parents were threatened each and every day by a dark lord that made his home inside Malfoy Manor.

If put in the same situation, would Harry have made the same decisions? They all seemed so wrong from the outside, but if Harry could do something to protect his parents, even if that thing was wrong, could he have just sat back and done nothing?

He didn't know.

That was when his feelings began to change toward the boy into a bit of a truce, on Harry's part at least. He could never say whether or not he would have made the more socially acceptable choice, so how could he judge?

He shook away the thoughts that pestered him for attention and turned back to Draco. "I have a room ready for you, though you can select any of the other unused rooms if you would prefer," he added.

"Whatever you like," Draco said with a sad smile.

Harry nodded and walked up the winding staircase that would lead him to the topmost floor. Harry usually didn't go near Regulus's old room out of respect of the man's memory. But something had seemed right about putting Draco there, so he had spent the last few days redoing the space, making it nice and pristine for his new guest.

He opened the door and let Draco lead them into the room. He had put a lot of work into it, but it still didn't seem nice enough for Malfoy. He had left the green and silver interior, thinking Draco would find it familiar, and even left the Black family crest painted above the bed, as that too was part of Draco's heritage. It was almost comical to think of living in a house that, for all intents and purposes, should have been passed to Draco.

Harry had added a desk and chair to the room, as well as a large wardrobe for his clothing. This floor didn't have any bathrooms, but there were several on the floors below.

"My room is across the hall," Harry told him. He had taken Sirius's old room after being originally hesitant to do so. There were larger and nicer rooms in the manor, but Harry felt closest to his godfather in his old bedroom. "So I'll hear if anything goes wrong," he added.

Draco whipped around to face Harry. "What's going to go wrong?" he asked, clearly worried.

"I said ' if'," Harry muttered.

"But the fact that you felt the need to say it at all tells me you're hiding something," Draco huffed.

Harry frowned. "Look, you can't have it both ways," Harry scoffed. "You're either here as my escort, or as my guest, so which is it?" he pressed. He knew he shouldn't be opening the door to Draco again, but he couldn't seem to resist.

"What? How are they different?" Draco asked looking genuinely curious.

"Well, as my guest, I'm obligated to be nice, and to tell you things, but as my escort… well I'm paying you, so you just have to do as I say," he answered with a smug grin.

"As your escort though, you'll have to sleep with me," Draco amended looking triumphant.

"I'm not sleeping with you either way," Harry corrected, though he was far more likely to let his guard down if Draco were there on his own terms and not as a _job_.

Draco crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. "Well, then I suppose it doesn't matter which one I choose, because I don't get what I want either way," he fussed.

Harry laughed, trying to quell his throbbing libido. "Why is it you are so focused on fucking me, Malfoy? Does the escort business not pay enough? Do you need to supplement your income with a scathing piece of gossip for _Witch Weekly_?" Harry asked with a sneer.

"What? No," Draco exclaimed looking affronted.

Harry stepped up to him, closing what little distance there had been between them and whispered in Draco's ear. "Why don't I just give you enough information to make your story worth reading and you can fill in all the blanks," Harry growled. "I have a phoenix tattoo that starts on my back and trails down my arse, I shave everything and I have no preference between being a top or a bottom, I like both," he whispered, grabbing Draco's shirt. "I also give spectacular head," he added with a smirk and let go of his shirt abruptly, stepping away from Draco's surprised body and leaving him alone in his room.

--

Draco just stood there for a moment staring at the open door; the one Harry had just exited through after giving him the worlds most raging hard on.

Harry's reaction to Draco once again trying to persuade him toward sex was surprising. In fact, Harry's reactions to everything Draco said were usually surprising. Part of him knew it was stupid to ask again, Harry had only told him 'no' a dozen times, but he just didn't feel like he could give up on the idea. He wanted to be with Harry, more than he had ever wanted to be with anyone.

He knew he should act professional and he kept reminding himself that this was a job, but something about Harry's request made it seem like it might be more than that.

Could Harry actually _like_ him? Was that why he wanted him there? And if that were the case, why would Harry decline sex?

But then, he knew the answer to that too now. He was afraid Draco would betray him. But how could Draco go about convincing Harry, who had every right to be paranoid about such things, that he had no such intentions?

He gave one last look around the room, which looked almost custom tailored to resemble the Slytherin dorms, and left in search of Harry.

"Potter," he called when he spotted him in the study.

Harry looked up and seemed to be fighting to decide how annoyed to look. He landed on something between disgusted and apologetic. "Sit," he ordered, pointing to a chair in front of his desk.

Draco hesitantly obeyed. He didn't like to be ordered around, be he got the impression that Harry was just angry and things were coming out harsher than he intended.

"You're right," he said at last.

A swell in his gut sent him slightly off balance, was Harry changing his mind about having sex with him? Did Draco inadvertently say or do something that showed Harry he could trust him? "About?" he asked casually, or at least hoped it didn't sound as yearning as he felt.

"The reason I asked you here," Harry replied. "Hermione came to me a few days ago. She has a source; the same one who gets her inside information on house elves that are being abused. Well, this wizard told her that he had overheard a rumor about you," Harry said.

Draco panicked and quickly ran over the last few years in his mind, searching for anything that would have made Harry not want to be with him, but turned up with nothing substantial. His profession was obviously the biggest obstacle; Harry thought it was too demeaning to pay for sex, though even when Draco offered himself free of charge he had still refused. The man was complicated, that much was certain. It was probably what Draco liked most about him.

Nevertheless, Draco felt sure he could counter any rumor the Granger girl could have told him.

"Well, it's not only about you, but you are the newest target," he muttered.

Now Draco _was_ confused. "Target?"

"There is this group, we've known about them for awhile. They are a sort of a vigilante gang made up of anonymous witches and wizards who found the Ministry's solutions for certain criminals to be... light, so they take it into their own hands to dish out a special brand of justice. It usually involves torture and eventually death, and the Ministry has only been able to stop a couple of the kidnappings before they reached that point.

"You see, we don't know who these people are. We have our suspicions, but no concrete evidence to prosecute them," Harry added, looking very angry with himself.

"This group… they want _me_, don't they?" Draco asked, his voice a small whisper. He didn't know what he had been thinking, of course Harry hadn't wanted him here as a social visit. There was a target on his head and Harry felt responsible for it, so now he was trying to protect him. Always the hero.

Harry nodded. "They call themselves The Code, and the worst part is, they see nothing wrong with what they do. They also seem to have members in pretty high places, considering that they have access to information that should be off record. Still, they didn't know your whereabouts until I dragged you out with me," he whispered apologetically.

As Harry confirmed Draco's thoughts, his world slowly crumbled around him. He felt like he might start hyperventilating, Harry didn't care about him at all; he only wanted to make sure Draco didn't die on his watch. It was probably very bad publicity for the new Minister.

He was used to hiding from people who wanted to kill him. He had even avoided several former death eaters over the previous year or so, but what was much worse than any of that was that Harry didn't care a lick about him.

"Look, Potter," Draco started, his voice cracking with emotion. "If that is all this is about, the only reason you asked me here, I think I'll take my chances at home," he said as he started to get up.

His legs were still shaking from the fear of losing his dream of Harry completely though, and he almost fell. He had to catch the chair to keep his balance.

Harry must have noticed, because he was at Draco's side in an instant, holding him close. Draco wanted to protest, to shove him away, but the warm feeling of being wrapped in Harry's strong embrace made him falter.

Why was Harry torturing him this way? Didn't he know that Draco had feelings for him and that this was a far worse fate, being wrapped in his arms but never getting to be _with_ him, than anything The Code could do to him?

He began to sob his grief into Harry's shoulder, unable to stop himself despite how degraded he felt and Harry ran his fingers through his hair and whispered soothingly in his ear. "It's okay Draco, I won't let them hurt you, they won't ever be able to touch a single beautiful hair on your head," he cooed.

Draco didn't know which of Harry's words held the most power, whether it was the compliment or the promise of safety or the fact that he called Draco by his given name, but whichever it was it made Draco sob all that much harder.

More than ever he wanted to belong to someone, and more than anyone he wanted it to be Harry.

Authors Note: Please review and I'll send out candy coated Draco's. yay!


	11. Chapter 11 Houseguest

Authors Note: Many thanks go out as always to my beta Alexandra, who lends a hand to all of my stories. I hope everyone is enjoying the progression of this tale, as it's taking an unexpected turn over the next few weeks. Keep speculating on The Code and who you think is involved. They'll be making an appearance soon. ;)

Chapter 11 Houseguest

One thing to master is the art of being invisible. Never leave even a scent of yourself behind, because almost all your clients have a significant other waiting for them at home. It's never a nice thing when your client gets caught cheating because of something you did.

It's bad for business.

--

Harry had taken a thoroughly distraught Draco up to his room and sat with him until he fell asleep. He should have anticipated Draco's reaction to his news, but he hadn't. The man had been quivering with fear, and it only served to solidify Harry's determination to protect him.

He would keep Draco safe no matter what the cost to himself.

He ran his fingers through Draco's soft golden hair and felt instantly guilty. It was certainly breaking several of his own rules to be with Draco this way, just lying here beside him and caressing his sleeping form felt too intimate. Even so, he couldn't bring himself to pull away.

Who knew when, or if, he might ever get another opportunity to be with Draco, so vulnerable and small?

It was a stark contrast to his usual self, haughty and indifferent to everything around him. The man carried himself with an air of self-confidence that Harry in his wildest imagination couldn't match. It was awe inspiring, to say the least.

Though if he were honest with himself, Harry could admit that he had always been jealous of Draco. Malfoy was beautiful and cultured. He had grown up in a world saturated with magical lore and he had parents, something Harry could never achieve.

All Harry could do was work as hard as he could to give the witches and wizards of England a better life and an opportunity to have the happiness that Harry himself could never hope to aspire to.

Draco's hair was like spun silk through his fingers and he yearned to be able to spend every evening this way, combing through his lover's hair, caressing his boyfriend's pale flesh and kissing him goodnight, before falling into a nightmare free sleep.

Such simple pleasures just weren't in the stars for Harry, though. He had discovered that some time ago. Maybe one day the planets would align and give him his due, Merlin only knew how much Harry had suffered for it, but fate tended to spite him even at the best of times.

Sending him Draco, for instance. This boy—whom Harry coveted, but who would never feel the same about him—was just another instance in a long line of heartache from being fate's plaything.

A small whimper escaped Draco's lips and Harry pulled him closer, kissing him lightly on the forehead. "It's okay," he whispered. "I promise I'll keep you safe, Draco," he cooed.

Draco shifted slightly in his arms and gave a contented sigh, pulling Harry even closer and nestling his head under Harry's chin. Harry practically melted into Draco's embrace. This was the piece of the puzzle that Harry had been so desperately missing in his life.

He groaned to himself and wriggled free of Draco's grasp. A large part of him wanted to stay in Draco's bed, wrapped in his warm arms, but an even larger part, the part that insisted Harry not fall too far into his own fantasies, told him to get the fuck away from Draco before he drove himself mad with want.

So he did the healthier thing and removed himself from the guest room and went across the hall to his own. He had set up wards around Draco's room that would alert him of anyone entering or exiting, magically or otherwise. He felt secure enough in his own magical ability to leave Draco alone for a bit.

He shut his own bedroom door behind him and leaned against it briefly before undressing and slipping into bed. He knew his dreams would be fraught with images of Draco, but he only had himself to blame on that front.

Sighing to himself, Harry closed his eyes and was immediately confronted with Draco's pale shining face as he slipped into sleep.

--

Draco stretched and yawned as sunlight streamed through his windows, assaulting his good dream and causing him to wake.

He had been having the most delicious dream about Harry and was quite perturbed to have it end so abruptly. Merlin knew he was only going to get a chance to experience things of such and elicit nature with Harry in his dreams, which was truly unfair.

He was an escort, for Merlin's sake. He made a living from having sex with dozens of people and the one, the only one he wanted, refused him. Maybe it _was _fair. Maybe it was exactly what he deserved for his youthful transgressions.

He had been so happy when Harry took him up to his room, and even happier as he pretended to sleep while Harry laid with him, trying to sooth away the feelings he hadn't known the true cause for. It had been a blissful torture, feeling Harry's caress and being held close and told he would be safe.

Then Draco had messed it all up, as he often did, when he had tried to return the gesture and snuggle up to him. Harry had left.

The sudden departure still stung, but there was nothing Draco could do about it. He was slowly falling deeper and deeper for this man he could never have and it was tearing him apart.

He pulled himself reluctantly from bed and changed. The only thing that kept him moving was the fact that he would see Harry.

Harry's door was open when Draco stepped out into the hall and he went down to the third level and noticed a light on in the hall bath. Assuming Harry was in the shower and would be down shortly, Draco passed the door and headed for the next landing.

As he made it past the final room on the third floor, the bathroom door swung open and startled Draco. He turned around in hopes to glimpse Harry in a partially dressed state but was further surprised when the man who exited the bath was in fact merely wearing a towel.

Only it wasn't Harry at all.

The man who appeared in the corridor was unfamiliar. He was tall and thin and had deep red hair that fell in tight ringlets all around his head. Draco would have assumed it was a Weasley, except his skin was tan and toned nicely with beads of water clinging to his chest and shoulders, as if protesting the very idea of being wiped away from his perfect body.

He turned to meet Draco gaze and a lopsided grin erupted on his face, accented nicely by a small amount of stubble and brilliant golden eyes. "You must be Drake," the man said, extended one hand while holding the fluffy white towel in place with the other.

"Draco," he corrected and shook his hand.

"Right, sorry," he apologized and blushed slightly. His accent wasn't British and sounded a little more like a mixture of Asian and something from the islands, Polynesian maybe. "I'm Blake," he said. "Harry's told me all about you."

"Oh, and what exactly has our dear Harry told you?" Draco asked, feeling suddenly out of place. No one liked being the third wheel, and this man was obviously very comfortable in Harry's home and must have spoken to him fairly recently in order to know about Draco.

Blake's smile faltered slightly at the word 'our' but he quickly fixed it. "Only good things I promise," he said, seemingly begrudging the fact. "He's gone into the office for a few hours and didn't think you would wake up so early. I'm sure if he had known he would have stayed around to introduce me himself," he laughed.

"I'm sure," Draco agreed, feeling that a proper introduction to his boyfriend would be precisely the polite and torturous thing Harry would want to do. "I feel that I'm at a bit of a disadvantage here," Draco added. "You seem to know all about me, but I don't know a thing about you."

Blake shrugged and Draco was impressed that he managed the gesture without losing the towel. "There's not much to tell."

"Do you live here?" Draco asked, genuinely curious. If he did, Draco was going to high tail it out of there as soon as possible. Draco could put up with a lot of torture, but the one thing that he couldn't take was to overhear Harry having sex with someone else. That would surely kill him.

"I usually stay here when I'm in town. I live in Hawaii," he added.

Well that explained the accent perfectly… and the tan. Even Draco had to admit that Harry's taste was exceptional, but it irked him to realize that Harry must not be attracted to him at all if he was usually attracted to men like Blake.

This guy was like the anti-Draco in every possible way.

"So are you in town for awhile?" he asked.

Blake nodded and shot him what Draco could only assume was his version of a smirk. "Two weeks," he said.

So he would be here through the duration of Draco's stay and he would get to stay even longer once Draco left. The world was truly unfair. Wasn't it enough this man got to share Harry's bed, did he have to actually _stay_ here too?

"You don't need to worry though. Harry's a bit of a screamer, but he usually keeps it in check when we have other company," he said with a wink and turned away to walk up to the top floor.

Draco balled his hands into fists and used every bit of self-control he possessed to keep from hurling a hex at the man walking away from him. So he was sleeping with Harry in every sense of the word. And he casually used the word 'we' when referring to him and Harry. The whole idea of it was a blow to Draco's system.

He had to get out of there.

He waited until he heard Harry's door close before he ran up to his own room and started packing. He didn't have much, so the task went quickly and Draco found himself barreling toward the exit only minutes later.

He was closing in on the door, his ticket to freedom, when it opened abruptly and Harry stepped through it, looking startled by Draco's immediate vicinity.

"Dr-Malfoy, where are you going?" Harry asked, concern flooding his voice.

Draco wished he could trick himself into believing it was more than just the fact that Harry had given himself a mission to protect Draco, and without him there, that would be much more difficult. It also wasn't lost on him that Harry had returned to calling him Malfoy.

"I met Blake, he seems like a nice bloke. I really should get out of your way. I'm sure you'll want to give him a proper welcome home, screaming and all," Draco spat, not trying to hide the bitterness from his voice.

Harry blushed furiously. "It's not like that. He just stays here when he's in town."

"Oh? In your room, in your bed?" Draco asked.

"Not that it's any of your business, but no, he doesn't stay there. Not anymore," Harry grumbled.

Draco was about to light into another series of accusations when Harry's words sunk in. "He's not…"

"He _was_. I met him shortly after I broke things off with Ginny and he reminded me of her. It made for an easier transition," he shrugged.

"I… he said… er," Draco stuttered, finding himself unusually out of words.

Harry smiled weakly. "He's a bit jealous," he whispered.

"Of me? Why? The man is gorgeous and has obviously gotten to be with you, I don't hold a candle to that. If anyone should be jealous it's me," Draco muttered, wishing he hadn't spoken at all.

"Are you? Jealous, I mean?" Harry asked, a black eyebrow quirked in curiosity.

"Of course I am," Draco huffed.

A small smile pulled at the corners of Harry's mouth. Harry was about to tease him, he just knew it. He was aware of Draco's feelings for him and was going to mock him for it.

That was unacceptable.

"Anyone would be jealous that you've gotten a chance to bed that man, he's stunning," Draco said at last.

Harry's face fell instantly. "Right," he sighed, looking like someone had killed his puppy. Who knew the leader of the wizarding world would look so forward to teasing someone like Draco? "He is though, isn't he? I can set you up with him if you'd like?" he asked.

"Brilliant," Draco replied half-heartedly. He really wasn't interested in anyone but Harry. The last few weeks since he had kissed him had been surprisingly hard. He found it awkward to do his job, which had come so naturally to him before.

He was always thinking about Harry, wishing it was Harry instead of whatever John he was with instead.

Draco's life had become very sad, pathetic even.

Authors Note: Little white bunny Dracos for all who review. They are fluffy and sweet, but tend to only want to mate with cute black bunnies named Harry. Go figure.


	12. Chapter 12 Persistence is Overrated

Authors Note: Holy shit! This story has cleared 300 reviews! I'm such a happy little writer! So apparently this story has just the write amount of tension and angst. lol. Well this chapter should up the dosage a bit, and the next installment, whoo, that will be a doozy! I can't wait for you all to read what's in store for our boys!! Many thanks to my Alexandra, without whom I would be beta-less. For anyone who hasn't already noticed, I have started new fics called Alluring Lullaby & History Repeats Itself, please check it out and tell me what you think!(I'll also be posting the usual header for these on my other accounts)

Chapter 12 Persistence is overrated

Never get too attached to your clients. Sure you'll get repeat business if your good, but you shouldn't count on it. People are living out their fantasies with their escorts, and for most men, the ultimate fantasy is _not_ monogamy. Sad but true.

If you find yourself having deeper feelings for a client, you have to pull back. Nothing good can happen when an escort falls in love with their client.

--

Harry was frustrated and trying to bury himself in paperwork. He couldn't believe how many times he kept putting his hopes out for Draco to trample on. Hermione would kill him if she saw him pinning over Draco Malfoy of all people. She knew about his feelings of course, but she got angry if he got worked up over anyone.

"Harry, you're the Minister for Magic, for Merlin's sake, defender of the wizarding world, sweet, clever and hot as hell. If someone you like doesn't recognize all that, then they aren't worth your time," he could practically hear her lecturing in his mind.

The problem was, Harry never felt like much of a hero, and he certainly didn't feel as though he should be Minister, and even if he were sweet or clever, there were plenty of other wizards out there who excelled him in both capacities he was certain.

Being gay never alleviated his trouble with dating, if anything it made it more difficult. Instead of only worrying that a girl was already dating another bloke, or that she may only want him for his fame or money, or may not even be attracted to him at all, now he had to worry about all that, plus having to guess whether the guy he was attracted to was also gay, or whether he only wanted to sell him out to the tabloids.

It was horrifying.

Which was why Harry tended not to date at all. Then comes along Draco Malfoy, smart, witty, hot and sexy, Draco Malfoy, who is certainly gay, has his own money and no wish to be famous, isn't dating anyone else, and wouldn't likely betray him to Rita Skeeter. He was sarcastic and sweet and just cranky enough to make things interesting, and to top it all off he was a spectacular kisser.

But he was the ultimate unattainable Adonis.

He loved his job, and that job was the one things Harry could never abide. He knew himself well enough to know that he would let it go, and the idea of Draco sleeping with anyone but him would fester into a wound that would tear them both apart and leave Harry a hollow shell.

Harry didn't have many relationship quirks, but monogamy was one of them, and it was one he would never be able to yield on, no matter how worth it yielding may seem in the beginning.

He was trying to ignore Draco, who had been pacing in front of his door for some time now. Once again he had put himself out there for Draco, only to have the Slytherin show more interest in Blake. It was starting to scrape away what little self-esteem he had left.

--

The rest of the afternoon was thankfully Blake-free. Apparently he was the captain of the Hawaiian Quidditch team, the Hula's and had the spend most of his days in practice.

Draco paced back and forth in front of Harry's study door, trying to think of a reason to bother him other than, 'you have a pretty mouth, could I please kiss you'.

It really was a glorious mouth, and Draco wanted those lips pressed against his again more than anything he has ever wanted. If he had the choice of freeing his father from Azkaban or kissing Harry, he would take the kiss hands down.

Which was sad in and of itself. How could Draco let him break all his own rules, how could he allow himself to be so entirely infatuated with a client, so much so that he was practically stalking him in Harry's own home?

It was so far below him.

He steeled his resolve and started to walk away when he heard Harry call him from the study. "Malfoy, you've been pacing outside my door for half an hour, is there something that you wanted?"

Draco swallowed thickly and entered the room. He hadn't come up with anything appropriate to ask yet. "Er… not really. Just bored. I'm not used to being stuck inside all day."

"No? What do your dates usually have you doing?" Harry asked, not looking up from his paperwork. His handwriting was neater than Draco recalled it being in school, and he was scribbling furiously between several bits of parchment.

Draco placed his hands on Harry's desk and leaned in. "I think you know," he replied.

He couldn't see Harry's beautiful green eyes but Draco was certain he was rolling them. "I already told you-"

Draco interrupted him with a casual wave. "Yes, I know. No sex for poor, poor Draco. You'll just watch as I wither away and die from lack of fulfillment," he sighed dramatically, throwing himself into Harry's side chair.

Harry chuckled. "I'm sure a week of abstinence will do you some good. Think of how spectacular the sex will be later," Harry said. "Anyhow, I already told you I would talk you up to Blake. He sounded interested when I mentioned you this morning."

"Did he?" Draco asked, pretending to care. Blake was entirely average in comparison to Harry.

Harry nodded and finally looked up from his work. "He did. He said you were pretty."

"Pretty?" Draco scoffed, his eyebrow raised. He was much more than _pretty_.

Harry laughed. "I know. I told him he was blind."

"You told him that?" Draco asked, stunned.

"I told him that if he didn't see how perfect you were he was and idiot," Harry laughed, shaking his head slightly.

"So I'm perfect, but still not good enough for you?" Draco muttered, immediately regretting his words.

Harry sighed and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples as if fending off a headache. "It's not about being good enough, it's just about being enough," Harry said at last.

Draco groaned. "You spent far to much time around Dumbledore, that statement was as vague as they come."

"I'm not sure how to explain it without completely offending you," Harry replied with a shrug.

"Just spit it out. Do you think you would be the first to call me a whore? To tell me I'm worthless because of what I do?" Draco said. He was trying to control his anger, but it always seemed to flame to life in the face of being rejected by Harry. For some reason that didn't stop Draco from pursuing him.

"Is that what you think?" Harry asked incredulously. "That I think you're a worthless slut?"

"You certainly act like it," Draco replied, arms folded across his chest in defense.

Harry shook his head. "You have no idea," he muttered.

"Then tell me," Draco demanded.

"I'm a selfish person, Malfoy. I don't sleep with someone unless I'm dating them, and-" Harry began, but Draco cut him off.

"And obviously as an escort, I'm not datable. I'm contaminated, right? Or are you just worried about what it would look like to the press to be dating someone like me?" Draco blurted.

Harry ran a hand through his hair and bit his bottom lip hard in order to calm himself, but it didn't work. "No you stupid git, it's just what you do for a living. I don't judge you like that. All I'm saying is that a lifestyle like yours will never work with mine. I could never just have sex with you, Draco. I would have to _have _you," he whispered.

Draco gaped and Harry shook his head and looked away, finding sudden interest in his first edition novels. "You would have to belong to me, and to only me and make love to me and only me. That kind of relationship is not very conducive to your career," Harry said, still not looking into Draco's face.

Draco felt all of his air rush away at Harry's words. Harry was laying it all out on the line, telling him what he had been longing to hear for weeks. He got up and moved into Harry's view and the Gryffindor just stared at him, boring those glorious eyes into his own.

"Steal me away," Draco whispered.

"What?" Harry replied, looking confused.

Draco felt a chill, a sudden burst of doubt. What if Harry was just making excuses so that he didn't need to be mean? "If you really want me, steal me away," he repeated.

Harry shook his head. "I can't do that."

Draco sagged and walked back toward the door. "You can't or you won't," he asked.

Harry shrugged. "Both really. I have no intention of standing between you and your career, Draco. That would only breed resentment."

Draco laughed harshly. "You think I would choose this life over one with you?"

Harry frowned. "Would you?" he asked.

"No," Draco replied without hesitation. "I would always choose you," he added before walking out and heading up to his room.

--

Harry knew his face must be contorted in surprise, but after all these weeks of wanting to hear those words form that set of lips, and he finally had.

Draco wanted him.

Or was it just another ploy to get him into bed? But to what end? Draco couldn't possibly be so fascinated with the idea of sleeping with Harry that he would stoop to such a level, could he?

He just didn't know. Draco _had_ been rather persistent.

What if it was just all about the chase for him, and then once Harry gave in, he would no longer be interested?

He reached into the desk drawer and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed a number he had long ago memorized and waiting for Madame X to answer.

"Harry dear, how is our Draco?" she asked.

"He's well and safe," Harry replied. "No one knows he's staying with me besides yourself and I'm having his flat watched for any suspicious activity. We should know something about who specifically is after him soon."

"Wonderful, wonderful. Harry you are so sweet to be doing this for us. I hope Draco is repaying you appropriately," she cooed.

"About that, I agreed to pay Draco while he was here, and I only feel that's fair since he's missing out on his normal income while he's with me," Harry said.

"Ah, I think I see where you're going with this, but don't worry, Harry. You can have your way with my beautiful Draco while you are protecting him. I wouldn't dream of taking your money after all you are doing for me by protecting him. So feel free to behave exactly as you would if you were paying for his services. I'll pay him directly when he returns and he'll never be the wiser," she said.

"Has Draco ever expressed a want to… leave your services?" Harry asked.

There was silence on the other end and for a moment, Harry thought the line had died. "Are you calling as Harry, or Minister Potter?" she asked at last.

"I don't understand," Harry replied, completely confused by the question.

"Are you asking out of general curiosity, or are you attempting to break the contract I have with him? Because I'll tell you now, I won't let Draco go without a fight," she growled.

Harry blanched, having never heard Madame X behave so angrily toward him. "So you have a binding contract? I didn't know he was that devoted," Harry replied. So that was all it was, Draco would hide behind his contract, and after sleeping with Harry, claim that he couldn't get out of it. "I'm sorry to have bothered you over it, Madame."

He tone lightened immediately. "Think nothing of it, Harry, though you did give this poor old woman a fright," she laughed.

"I'll keep in touch with you about Draco, and in the meantime, if you hear or see anything, be sure to let me know," he said.

"Of course, dear. Ta ta," she cooed before hanging up.

Harry took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He was convinced Draco was trying to dupe him, and would see how he liked it when Harry called his bluff.

--

Draco was sulking in his room, having waited to see if Harry would follow him.

Apparently he wasn't as interested as he said, because Draco was still alone. After a confession such as he made, it should have been clear Draco had deeper feelings for him, but clearly Harry didn't share them.

His head snapped up sharply when he heard the door open, but he was disappointed to see that it was only Blake. "Can I help you?" he asked, rather ruder then he had planned.

Blake grinned and walked over to the bed. "I heard you were up here," he said.

Draco groaned, so no, Harry certainly wasn't interested if he was sending other men to Draco's bed. "Oh?"

"He told me you were interested in me," he added smugly.

Draco just smiled back. The guy was good looking enough, and if Harry didn't want him, why not indulge a little? "I might be," he replied.

Blake smirked and moved closer, rubbing his hand up and down Draco's thigh. "I hear it's a bit more than might," he replied, seizing Draco's bottom lip. He whimpered against Blake's lips and feathered his fingers through Blake's hair.

Blake pulled back a minute. "This morning it seemed like you wanted Harry," he said.

"Harry doesn't want me," Draco replied, and pulled him down into another kiss.

Blake laughed against his lips and pulled away again. "Yes, he does. He's never wanted anyone more than he wants you," Blake said.

"Rubbish. He would have told me that when I told him how I felt earlier," Draco grumbled. He didn't like Blake taking his mind off the task at hand, and the task at hand was forgetting Harry's rejection, not reliving it.

"I'm telling you, he's crazy about you," Blake said, but Draco straddled him and plunged his tongue in Blake's mouth, trying to shut him up.

He barely registered when the door opened, or the startled gasp, but he did notice Blake tense and move away. "Harry, just wait," he started to say, but Harry cut him off.

"It's okay Blake, he's all yours," Harry said. He looked over at Draco and his eyes were filled with betrayal. "I should have known it was just an act, but I thought you would have at least kept your pants on until you fulfilled your goal of fucking the legendary Harry Potter," he snarled.

Draco was dumbfounded, and slightly irritated. "You seriously think you can just leave me up here for hours and expect me not to get the point? You're not interested, I get it, but that means you don't get to dictate who I sleep with," Draco spat.

Harry laughed wickedly. "A few hours? You didn't tell me your confession had an expiration date, I wasn't aware that you would be running off with the first warm body you saw. You tell me you want me to steal you away from this life, but then you run right back to it," he seethed.

Draco's eyes went wide, in Harry's terms it did seem childish. "Look, Har-" he began, but Harry cut him off.

"No more lies, Malfoy. I can't take them, least of all from you," he said, looking entirely dejected. "I know about the contract you would have hid behind, and you apparently have no want or need of a monogamous relationship, so I just need to wash my hands of this whole thing," he sighed.

"I'll arrange a safe house for you and constant Auror watch, but I can't do this to myself anymore," he said, and left the room.

"You're throwing me out?" Draco called, but no answer came.

"I told you," Blake muttered from the corner, and Draco threw a pillow at him. "Get out," he ordered, and Blake quickly obeyed.

--

Authors Note: Okay, no harrassing me about the cliffhanger, because by now you should be expecting it. lol. Plus next weeks will be FAR worse. lol. Please review!! If you do you'll get a lifesize chocolate Harry and Draco cuddling action figure


	13. Chapter 13 Kindling

Authors Note: Many thanks ot my beta, Alexandra. Kindling: Ignition of a passion or rage. Now I have a favor to ask. I have two stories (my first) Gilded Soul and Divided. Each of which are teetering on the edge of 200 reviews. Who wants to help me get there? lol

Chapter 13 Kindling

Sometimes you have to break a few rules to get what you want. Thanks not from the escort rulebook, but it's from mine. Sometimes breaking rules is the only way to protect the ones you love, and in this case, maybe the only way to ever _get_ the one I love.

The more I think about it, the less I can imagine my life without Harry in it. It's like someone gave me a bite of delicious fruit and then forced me to eat only dirt afterward.

Impossible.

You are always going to yearn for that fruit, no matter how unattainable.

--

Harry tossed and turned in his room, reaching out in his dreams for some unknown need, though part of him knew exactly what it was. It was Draco. He had somehow come to need Draco as much as he needed water.

Tomorrow he was leaving, though, and Harry couldn't let himself see the Slytherin again. Too many emotions there, every single one of them unstable, and like a live volcano, Harry would soon explode from them.

The click of his bedroom door woke him at once. He was a light sleeper, and with Malfoy in danger, he had been extra alert to any noises. "Who's there," he called out, reaching under his pillow for his wand.

"It's me," a familiar voice called back.

"Draco?" he hissed. "Don't you think you've done enough damage for one night?"

Draco didn't answer, but Harry could hear him coming closer. He waved his wand and muttered a silent spell and a glowing ball of light hovered between the boys. Draco winced against the light, but kept coming forward.

"Malfoy, get out of my room," he said tersely.

"You never can decide what to call me," Draco replied with a laugh, and kept stalking toward the bed.

"That's because I never know how to respond to you, period," he said. "You're either saying everything right, or everything wrong. There's no in between with you."

"If you want me to shut up you could just kiss me, that usually does the trick," Draco replied with a wry grin.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm sure it would. Do you often use that trick on your clients?"

Draco paused. "I don't want any of them, Harry. I only want you. I would quit today if you'd have me," he whispered.

Harry's heart tightened, but he shook away the feeling. "I told you, I know about your contract."

"And you're just the person to break it," Draco replied. "Madame X could never resist the Minister of Magic."

"Is that it then, are you just looking for a way out of your contract? If that's the case you can drop the charade. I would have gotten you out of it regardless of whether or not you had feelings for me," Harry huffed.

"No, I like my job, or rather, I don't hate it," Draco replied. "The money's great, the sex is fun and the company's not half bad," he added with a grin. "But I would give it all up for you."

Harry sighed and banged his head lightly against the headboard. "What if I couldn't get you out of it?" Harry asked, still trying to call Draco's bluff.

"Then we would run away together," Draco answered with a wistful smile. "You always said you didn't want to be Minister, anyhow."

Harry laughed and shook his head. "You're serious?"

"Dead," he whispered and restarted his journey to Harry's bed.

"I'm still not having sex with you," Harry muttered, but Draco didn't stop.

"That's why I'm here," Draco replied. "I intend to show you that this is about more than sex to me."

"Oh, and how do you intend to do that?" Harry asked.

"By sleeping with you," he replied with a smirk.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I just said-" he began, but Draco cut him off with soft fingertips on his lips.

"I mean really _sleeping_ with you. No sex, just lying together. I want to hold you," he whispered, his eyes filled with need. "I won't try anything, escort's honor," he added with a smile, crossing his fingers over his heart.

Harry sighed against Draco's fingers. There he was, the man of his dreams, saying all the right things again. "Draco, I…" he began, and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I couldn't take it if you broke my heart," he said at last.

Draco's eyes sparkled with understanding. "I don't want to hurt you, Harry. I already care about you too much to ever hurt you."

Harry closed his eyes and thought for a moment. This was all too intimate, but certainly not the same as having sex, right? He shook his head; it was the same in some ways and even _more_ intimate in others. But if Draco was being honest, then couldn't he give him that much at least?

Without a word, Harry moved over, making room for Draco to climb into bed. He was thankful that he thought to wear boxers to bed for one night, at least.

Draco raised an eyebrow in surprise; perhaps he had thought it would be harder to win Harry over. Nevertheless he started to climb into bed until Harry stopped him with a shake of his head.

"What?" Draco asked, already looking dejected.

Harry wanted to kiss the sadness right from his face. "Too many clothes," he pointed out, and Draco smiled and started stripping.

He stopped at his boxers and climbed into bed, sparing no time before wrapping himself like a cocoon around Harry's warm body. He ran his fingers lovingly through Harry's raven locks and Harry melted against him like ice cream on a warm summer sidewalk.

"This feels nice," Draco sighed against his hair. He could feel the warm breath on his scalp and even smell the flavors of Draco, plumbs and citrus, mingling together in an exotic fragrance and taste. He pulled Draco closer and placed a delicate kiss on his collarbone, noting with happiness the shiver that ran through Draco's body.

"It does feel nice, hm. Feels right," Harry mused, running fingertips up and down Draco's pale flesh. He looked up into his stormy silver eyes and smiled at the look of adoration there. He cupped Draco's cheek and pulled him down into a deep kiss, one that blew their last away.

A tangle of tongues and the biting of lips gave way to heated moans and heavy breathing. "We should stop," Draco panted.

Harry looked at him curiously, as their legs rubbed together. Harry could feel his own erection rutting against Draco's and he longed to reach down and grab his length and bury it inside him. Just this once he could break a rule, just this once he could be with Draco even if he left him in the morning. It could all be worth it, it could be a memory that would keep him warm on lonely nights.

"I promised myself I wouldn't attack you, and I promised you I wouldn't try anything," Draco breathed.

"But what if I want you to,?" Harry responded, his voice thick with lust.

Draco groaned and shook his head. "You are the devil," he whispered. "How am I supposed to prove that I want you for more than just sex, if I try to have sex with you the first minute we're alone?"

"It's been a few minutes," Harry responded, attempting to pull Draco into another kiss.

Draco chuckled and the deep sound of it vibrated through Harry's body and made him squirm. "Harry," he whispered, pleadingly. "Please don't make this harder, I'm not that strong."

"Don't be strong, give in," Harry whispered, biting lightly along Draco's chin and neck.

"But I made a promise," he groaned.

"Break it," Harry breathed, sucking on his earlobe. He could feel Draco responding with shuddering thrusts against his leg, and knew he was wearing down his resolve.

"I need to prove it," he whispered, head lolled back, eyes fluttering closed at Harry's touch.

"Then prove it by staying with me," Harry moaned, kissing him again, plunging his tongue into Draco's willing mouth.

Draco pushed him gently away and blinked rapidly, trying to catch his breath. "No," he rasped. "I made a promise, and you'll be angry tomorrow if I break it."

"I won't," Harry corrected.

"I don't believe you," Draco said with a smirk and pulled Harry against him, running calming hands down his back and over his heated skin.

"You're serious?" he asked, and Draco nodded. They stayed there, holding each other in silence for a long time until Draco broke it.

"Harry?"

"Yes Draco?"

"I'm scared," he whispered.

Harry lifted up to look Draco in the eyes, they were clouded over with unshed tears and Harry kissed them away, one at a time. "I am too."

"I've never even tried to have a real relationship before. What if I'm rubbish at it?" he rasped.

Harry smiled sweetly and kissed Draco's pouting lips. "We'll be together, right? We'll get through whatever comes," he promised. And he did promise it.

If Draco could do this, change his entire life just to be with Harry, then Harry would do everything within his power to keep him happy, safe, and warm.

"How do you know?" Draco asked. "How can you be sure?"

Harry thought about it for a moment and then kissed Draco tenderly. "I think I'm falling in love with you, Draco. I would never leave you in the dark."

Draco's slightly red eyes went wide at Harry's words and he leaned down, kissing him fiercely. "I think I love you too, Harry. I've never felt anything like what I feel for you."

Harry sighed and snuggled up against him, bushing fingertips across Draco's stomach. "Sweet dreams, Draco," he whispered.

"Forever," Draco replied as they both drifted into the most pleasant sleep either had ever had.

--

Draco woke up and blinked at the light flooding through the room. He didn't recognize the space, but when he felt a warm body shift around him and pull him closer; he realized at once where he was. He sighed and sunk further into Harry's loving embrace.

"Mmm," Harry moaned. "I could get used to this."

Draco chuckled. "Good, because I'm not so easy to get rid of."

"So, I've noticed," Harry replied with a grin. "You're awfully persistent."

"Good thing, huh?" he asked and Harry nodded.

"I'm a little stubborn," he replied.

"No, really? I hadn't noticed. So much to learn about you," he mocked.

Harry reached over and pinched his hip, hitting just the right spot, and an involuntary bark of laughter escaped Draco's lips. "Hey, no fair."

"No sarcasm this early in the morning," Harry teased sleepily.

"No promises," Draco replied, kissing Harry's scalp through his messy black hair. "Funny enough, your hair actually looks less messy before you rake a brush through it," he commented with a smirk.

Harry pinched the same place again, eliciting a similar reaction. "You were saying?" Harry replied.

Draco huffed and tickled the sleepy Gryffindor in his arms. Harry flailed around like a broken doll until finally Draco stopped his fingertip torture. "You were saying?"

Harry pouted and Draco seized his bottom lip between his teeth, kissing him fiercely. "You're adorable when you pout."

Smirking, Harry slipped out of bed; adjusting his boxers as he went.

"Where are you going?" Draco called, suddenly concerned.

"Bathroom," Harry responded. "Care to join me?" he added with a wink.

Draco grinned and lunged out of bed, following Harry to the door. A smashing noise followed by a slight sting made him wince, and when he opened his eyes, Harry's were wide with horror.

"Draco, no, no, please no," he cried, moving quickly to his side. "Draco, can you hear me?"

"Of course I can hear you, don't be daft," he slurred. His mind was fuzzy as he looked at Harry, tears falling rapidly down his cheeks. "Shh, don't cry. Everything's fine", he whispered, losing the will to speak out loud.

He looked down, following Harry's wide-eyed gaze, to the place where Harry's hands were gripping his chest and side. He could tell the press was firm, but the touch felt feather-light to Draco. He blinked as he saw Harry's hands come away with blood, and heard him sob and cry out for help.

It was all starting to fade away into the fuzz and Harry shook him and pulled him close, and muttered curses under his breath. Blake was standing over him casting spells the color of healing, but there was still so much blood.

Draco wondered whose blood it was.

He only had a moment to realize that it was his blood soaking Harry's hand and coating Harry's wand, and bleeding from his body, before the world grew dark, and his tongue felt heavy. "I love you," was all he managed before the black took him into its blood soaked depth.

Authors note: I warned you last time, but wasn't it sweet while it lasted? So, is Draco dead? Was it The Code, or was it someone else? I'm ready for the violent reviews and speculations. ;) also, I've gotten a few random requests for friendship on my other accounts, and I just wanted to say that I pretty much approve anyone, so feel free to add me. I'm digitallace on Myspace, Facebook,Buzznet,Livejournal & Mibba.


	14. Chapter 14 Odin’s Wrath

Authors Note: This chapter was titled in honor of my favorite mythological god, Odin, which is an old Norse god of war, death and fury. (He stands for much more than this, but these are the aspects that apply to my tale.) Also, since it was brought to my attention earlier on that Colin actually died in the war (I can hardly keep track of all the characters JK killed off) I have replaced him with Dennis Creeey. Also thanks go out to my beta for this chapter and the next one, Shannon. Yay team awesome!

Chapter 14 Odin's Wrath

Once you begin a career like mine, you run the risk of losing everything. Respect, love, family, those are all things one might wish to pursue, but are impossible to achieve as an escort. Let's face it, I'm just a glorified prostitute and that means love me and leave me. It also means the death of most dreams and ambitions.

--

"Fuck, Draco, don't leave me. You have to wake up! Keep your eyes open," Harry shouted between frustrated sobs.

None of the healing spells he and Blake were using seemed to do any good against the ragged wound on Draco's chest and side, and Draco was quickly slipping away from him.

The effect from the hex reminded him of the sectumsempra spell, but no one else had been in the room when Draco was hit and Harry had no real idea what spell he was actually attacked with. He looked up briefly to see a giant chunk of glass missing from the window.

"Someone shot through the window," he hissed, more to himself than Blake, who was carefully applying pressure to Draco's bleeding gashes. Very few people had access to Grimmauld Place or even knew where it was, swiftly narrowing the possibilities for the attacker.

"We have to get him to St. Mungo's," Blake shouted, breaking Harry from his Auror honed thoughts.

Harry nodded curtly and ran the back of his hand over his eyes. It managed to clear the silent tears he was shedding, but also smeared Draco's blood across his face like war paint. That paired with the furiously determined look in his brilliant green eyes made him a sight to behold: like the god of vengeance had come to life.

He scooped up Draco with a strength and swiftness he hadn't known he possessed and carried the wounded blonde to the nearest fireplace, flooing them directly into the lobby of St. Mungo's Hospital.

The healers and mediwizards bustling around him all paused in their duties the moment they saw Harry in the lobby. A second later someone levitated Draco from his arms and someone else shuffled Harry along behind them as they placed Draco on a table in the emergency ward.

"Minister, are you hurt?" a tall slim healer asked.

"No, not me. It only hit Draco," Harry choked.

"Sir, is that Draco Malfoy?" the healer asked and Harry nodded distractedly, watching as healers worked on the man he loved, pouring potions down his throat and casting several spells in quick succession. His whole body was quivering with the need for Draco to just wake up and look at him again.

"The death eater?" the healer asked, and Harry rounded on him at once.

"Is that going to be a problem, _healer_?" he spat, his tone biting and fierce. "Draco Malfoy was cleared of all charges and deserves the same treatment as any other patient."

"I'm aware of that, sir, it's just that some of the staff here have been personally effected by the Malfoy family during the war. It might make them uncomfortable to have him treated here," the healer stated plainly.

Harry leveled his wand at the healer's chest, causing a fluster of gasps throughout the room and healer paled. "Draco is to be treated the same as you would treat me. An attack against him is an attack against the Minister for Magic. Am I making myself clear?" Harry snarled and the healer quickly nodded.

Lowering his wand Harry cast a glance around the room, surveying it for potential threats. The staff seemed to understand the severity of the situation and they all swiftly moved from Harry's line of sight, appearing as busy as possible.

He grabbed the arm of a friendly looking mediwitch scurrying by and tried to soften his gaze, doubting whether or not he was getting the desired effect with the blood still smeared across his face. "Can you have someone contact Hermione Granger, please? Tell her where I am and that I need her here straight away."

The mediwitch nodded and ran toward the front desk to relay Harry's message while he paced in front of the large glass windows keeping him from the emergency room. His anger began to crumble into despair as he watched the main healer who had been working extensively on Malfoy from the moment they arrived, put his wand away and walk from the room with a solemn face.

Harry braced himself for the words he could tell were about to spill from the man's lips. 'I'm sorry for your loss'; as if they knew anything of what Harry was losing by losing Draco. His whole happy future was carefully wrapped up with Draco's life force, and if one was snuffed out, then so would the other.

He had never felt for anyone the way he did for Draco, and to give that all up before it even began, it broke Harry's heart. All the words left unsaid still lingered between them, and now they would continue to do so forever.

The healer approached, head bowed and not meeting his eyes, and Harry wanted to scream at him to get it over with, just wrench out the blade and let him bleed out on the floor, right there next to Draco's cold dead body, but the words never came out, his mind was already to consumed with loss to think clearly.

"Minister," he said at last. "We've managed to stop the bleeding, but he lost a lot. He's critical, and we're moving him to the surveillance ward where they'll monitor him at all hours. We've put him into an induced sleep to help him heal, and we should have a better idea of his full condition later tonight," he added.

Harry collapsed on his knees to the floor, overcome with relief that Draco was still alive.

"Are you okay, Minister?" the healer asked at once, lifting Harry from the green tile floor.

Harry looked up at the healer and gave him the full weight of his gaze. "Will Draco be alright?" he asked.

The healer blinked at the change of subject. "I- Yes, I believe he will. I'll have my best people on his case. I assure you, Minister, we'll do everything we can to make sure Mr. Malfoy will make a full recovery."

Harry nodded and squeezed the hand that was holding his arm. "You have no idea what a relief that news is, Healer."

The healer nodded his understanding and led Harry into the room where they had carted Draco. "I'll secure special permission for you to stay with him, Minister."

"Thank you," Harry began, his eyes flicking to the nametag the healer wore. "Healer Platt," he amended. The healer beamed and left Harry alone with Draco, seemingly extra proud of himself.

The blonde was even paler than normal, and Harry folded his hand over Draco's, trailing the fingertips of his other hand carefully up and down the Slytherin's arm. Exhaustion from the morning events hit him like a hex to the chest and he had to sit down, leaning his forehead against their entwined hands.

"Harry, oh Harry are you okay?" Hermione called from the door, rushing over to thoroughly examine him. "You're covered in blood!" she admonished.

"I'm not hurt, Mione," he said sharply, waving her off and casting a cleaning charm over himself, effectively removing most of the blood.

"I'm so sorry about Malfoy. Will he be okay?" she asked, eyeing the blonde skeptically.

"He has to be," Harry stated firmly and Hermione nodded lightly.

"How did you even find him?" she asked, her penetrating chocolate gaze boring into his.

Harry looked away, back toward his injured Slytherin, who was breathing deeply and completely unaware of his predicament. "He's been staying we me for the last couple days. After your warning I thought it would be best."

"Harry, I told you to warn him and stay away. You know very well what this group would do to you if they found out you were helping him," she scolded.

"Obviously they _did_ find out. That curse came through _my_ bedroom window, which means they must have been targeting _me_," he replied.

"Your bedroom win- Harry you didn't?" she huffed.

"I didn't have sex with him. We just slept. Don't look at me that way, I'm telling the truth," he replied as she gave him her best 'of course you did' look. "It was sweet and perfect, and Merlin, I think I'm falling in love with him Hermione."

Hermione sat heavily in the chair beside him and put her head in her hands. "Harry, nothing good can come from being with Malfoy."

"I disagree," Harry hissed. He needed to be spending time tracking down Draco's attacker, not defending his relationship to his friend.

"Then tell me, Harry. Name one good thing that could possibly happen," she challenged.

"I could be happy," Harry offered at once.

"You're already happy, Harry," she scoffed. "You're the Minister now, not to mention Harry bloody Potter, and despite what may seem fair to you, both of those titles come with a certain amount of responsibility. Surely there is someone else who can get you off," she added crudely.

"It's not just about sex, Hermione. Do you even know me at all? Has it eluded you how miserable I've been these last few years?" Harry asked, not willing to believe his best friend had been so oblivious to his loneliness.

She sighed and placed a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder. "I love you, Harry, and I know you've been a bit unhappy, but really… Malfoy?" she asked, her voice laced with humor trying to lighten the mood, but her eyes were nothing but serious. She didn't approve, which hurt. He felt like he had no one on his side.

As if to remind him exactly who _was_ still on his side, Draco's fingers flexed inside his palm and Harry squeezed them tightly, trying to gather the strength and love from Draco's grip. "Yes, I'm in love with Draco Malfoy. You can either learn to deal with it, or find a new friend, Mione."

She stood looking shocked and angered. "So that's it? You're choosing _him_ over our friendship? You choose Malfoy after everything he's done? Isn't it bad enough to fire your best friend over him, but now me? You're picking Malfoy over _me_?" she shouted.

"If you don't like the answer, then don't make me choose," Harry said simply.

Hermione gaped at him, tears swimming unshed in her eyes and Harry's heart broke a little more. He reluctantly let go of Draco's hand and went to her, pulling her into a tight hug. "Mione, listen," he whispered. "I love you, really I do, but you and Ron are together now. You're starting a family and you're moving on with your lives. Where do I fit into that?"

"Harry, you will always be our friend, and I know Ron's being a prat right now, but you're still like a brother to him," she sobbed.

"Well, what if I asked you to pick me or Ron?" Harry said. "I never would, because what you and I have is different from what you and Ron have."

"Clearly, Harry, we're married, but-" she began and Harry interrupted her.

"Would you begrudge me the same happiness you have with Ron?" Harry asked.

"Never, Harry, but why Malfoy?" she groaned.

"He's my Ron," Harry teased.

"Ron's never called me a mudblood, and his father's not a death eater," she challenged.

"Draco's never had me thrown in jail," Harry countered.

Hermione huffed and nodded; seeming to understand today was not the day to fight over it. "Well, hopefully for all our sakes this is just a passing phase," she muttered.

"It's not," Harry replied, with a force that made her blink. He went back and wrapped his hand around Malfoy's again, caressing the back of it with his thumb. "So, are you going to help me catch whoever did this?"

"Harry," she began.

"If it bothers you, just do what I asked the healers to do and imagine it's me. It _could_ have been. In fact, if Draco hadn't been in the way, the hex would have hit me in the chest," he added. "Can you help the man who might have just saved your best friends life?"

Hermione shook her head at the image and nodded. "Of course I'll help. What do you need me to do?"

"Well, first I need the wards checked. I think the spell was cast from inside of them, but I want to make sure no one actually broke through them or took them down altogether just in case. I need to speak with Dennis so that we can organize the Auror force," Harry added.

"You know that most of them won't want to do this for Malfoy, right?" Hermione asked tentatively.

"They'll be doing it for me, and if that's not enough, they'll be doing it to keep their jobs at the Ministry," Harry growled, already sick of the prejudice surrounding Draco's name. He knew there would be some backlash for being with the Slytherin, but couldn't even Hermione see why he needed to be with him?

"You're really serious about him, aren't you?" she asked quietly, her chocolate eyes holding a familiar sense of awe.

"Mione, when have I ever said that I loved someone lightly?" he asked.

"Never," Hermione whispered.

"I. Love. Him," Harry stated plainly.

Hermione nodded and walked toward the door. "I'll summon Dennis and then go check the wards myself," she said. As she opened the door to leave, she turned back one last time with a tight smile. "And Harry, be careful alright?" she added, her eyes flicking to the man lying deathly still on the bed before leaving.

He knew she meant to be careful of everything, the attacker and using his Ministry position to get this solved, but he also knew she was more worried about the Slytherin holding his hand more than anything else.

It was nice that she cared; he just hoped that eventually she came around, because he would hate to lose her like he did Ron.

--

Authors Note: Yay he's not dead, not that I fooled any of you. lol. I wanted to send a special Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story. It gives me great pleasure to note that this chapter will probably put the reviews over 400 on FF . (I also post to AFF & Skyehawke but FF is my main archive ) It makes me giddy to see that we're maybe only halfway through the story and it already has so many reviews.

So, what do you guys want as a prize for reviewing this time?! Also, if I created a forum group for update alerts,polls and whatnot, would anyone be interested in joining? I'm not sure yet if it's worth it or not, so I'm trying to decide.


	15. Chapter 15 Not Without Rewards

Authors Note: *** To anyone who hasn't already seen, I've posted a new Oneshot called Only Fools Rush In. It's quite long, so be warned. I've had several people comment on the blurbs in the beginning of each chapter of this story. In my head, Draco has decided to do something good with his experiences and write a book for anyone possibly looking into the profession, so he's been keeping a journal of his time as an escort and these are sections from his entries. (Though every once in awhile they are Harry's journal entries) I'm not sure yet whether I'm actually going to make a notation about this _in_ the story or not, but I thought you all might like a little insight into my process and what it all means.

Chapter 15 Not Without Rewards

Insert prophetic wisdom here.

Why are you listening to my advice anyway? Run away from this lifestyle before it's too late. I'm miserable and lonely and I have no one to blame for that aside from myself. If you have another option – take it. If you don't, well then you'll just end up screwed like me… literally.

--

The hospital room was sterile and smelled of disinfectant and death. Harry wasn't the biggest fan of hospitals as he spent far too much time in them after the war. Even though he was virtually unscathed, aside from the nightmares he still sometimes had, so many of his friends and schoolmates didn't have the same luck, so he spent months after the war visiting various people in hospital.

As bad as the hospital was though, it was always far preferable to the other places he spent a lot of time in after the war.

Funeral Parlors.

At least if you were in a hospital you had a very good chance of walking out again.

The ache of nearly losing Draco hadn't eased much and Dennis had come and gone twice already, once to bring him lunch and the second time to take down the orders he wanted to be given to the Auror department.

Hermione had yet to return and Harry was starting to grow nervous, but refused to leave Draco's side. He decided that if she hadn't checked in with him by dinnertime then he would send Dennis after her just to make sure she was okay.

"Minister Potter," a voice called from the doorway and Harry turned to smile slightly at Healer Platt. The man had been kind enough to leave Harry alone through most of the day, which he was more appreciative than he could even tell the healer.

"Come in, Healer Platt," Harry called back.

"It's time for me to wake Mr. Malfoy and check his condition once more," he told Harry. "Would you wait just outside, please?"

Harry squirmed slightly but resolved himself as he looked down at Draco's pale and fragile form. "I'd prefer to stay if it won't impede with your tests," he stated firmly. Harry disliked trying to use his influence to get around the rules, but he had to keep Draco safe at all costs.

The healer looked at him nervously but eventually nodded. "As you wish, Minister."

Healer Platt waved his wand over Draco's body and a shimmering blue light drifted up and away from him. Suddenly Draco's breathing was more erratic and his face was twisted with pain. "Is he alright?" Harry asked, moving briskly to the other side of Draco's bed and reaching for his hand.

"Everything is normal. He was sleeping too deeply to notice his injuries before, but now that I've pulled him from the healing coma he's feeling all of it," the healer replied. "Depending on the outcome of these next tests, we may put him back under."

Harry nodded and smoothed Draco's hair away from his face. It was an odd feeling to be looking after Draco in this manner, standing in the place of a spouse when they had barely told each other their feelings, let alone made any sort of a commitment. When Draco got better would they start dating? Would he even mind the idea of Harry being there now?

Millions of questions buzzed through his mind as the healer conducted test after test on the sleeping patient. Different color shapes and light hovered over Draco's body, most of them centered over Draco's wound and Harry started to ask what they all meant until he looked up to see the intense concentration wrinkling the healers face. Harry had requested to stay in the room; the least he could do was stay quiet.

The healer looked up abruptly and scrutinized Harry and his hand clasped around Draco's. "Uncanny," Platt whispered.

"What?" Harry asked, quite startled.

"When you touched him just now his statistics went a little haywire," the healer told him.

Harry quickly retracted his hand, but Platt stopped him in mid motion, and replaced it. "No, Minister, the effect you have on him actually improved his vitals. It appears your power is quite strong."

"So, I'm not hurting him?" Harry asked tentatively.

"Quite the opposite. In fact, you would be a natural Healer if you were inclined to take the training," he replied.

"I think I might actually prefer that to being Minister, but alas here I am," Harry replied with a sweeping gesture. "Maybe once my tenure is complete at the Ministry."

Healer Platt nodded and smiled as if thrilled to have potentially brought _The _Harry Potter over to the ways of healing.

Finally the phantom geometry faded and the healer looked pleased. "He's doing remarkably well and seems to have an above average will to live. Very persistent this one."

"That's my Draco," Harry chuckled, hoping that Draco really would be _his_ soon.

The healer raised an eyebrow and looked conflicted for an instant before seeming to steel himself to speak. "I'm sorry if this is too personal sir, but you and Mr. Malfoy seem like a very unlikely couple."

Harry smiled sadly. It seemed that no one would be accepting of he and Draco together. "It makes all the sense in the world to me, Healer Platt."

"Fair enough," the healer replied with a shrug and Harry only wished the others were as easy to convince.

"Well, Mr. Malfoy seems to have healed from most of the internal injuries and by this time tomorrow there should only be some slight scarring and tenderness to the touch," the healer said, putting away his wand.

"When will he wake up?" Harry asked, tightening his grip on Draco's hand.

"He's most likely wake up on his own shortly. I'm only going to give him a light pain relieving potion to ease his discomfort instead of reintroducing the healing coma," the healer replied, a proud grin plastered on his face.

"I'm very thankful for all your help, Healer Platt," Harry said, gazing into the still closed eyes of his Draco.

"Please, call me Sam," the healer replied, blushing slightly.

"Then you must call me Harry," he replied, ignoring the blush increase on Sam's cheeks.

He offered his hand and Sam took it gladly, shaking it vigorously. Harry respected the man for not letting awe of celebrity get in the way of doing his job. Most people he came across never waited too long before asking for an autograph, or for him to bless their child, or to insinuate themselves into his memory some other way.

Being Harry Potter was an odd experience and he never knew what to expect from day to day, but as he looked down on his nearly healthy love, he thought that it was all worth it in the end.

"If you need anything at all Harry, have them summon me. I'll take care of it right away," Sam promised.

Harry nodded and watched the healer walk from the room, relieved to be alone with Draco again, even if he was unconscious. Harry ran his hand gently through Draco's golden hair and sighed heavily. Eventually the tears from the grief, stress and relief would push toward the surface, but Harry wouldn't let that happen in the middle of the hospital. He would wait until he had Draco safe and until he was alone. He couldn't afford to appear weak, even though that was how he felt, especially not now when Draco needed him for protection and to solve this angry act against him.

There was a quiet knock at the door and Harry summoned Dennis into the room without looking up. "Do you have news?" he asked, still focused on Draco's steadily breathing chest.

"I've compiled a list of all known witches or wizards that had access or at least some knowledge of your home, as well as the people who knew you were intimately linked to Mr. Malfoy, as you requested, sir," Dennis began. Harry had already mentally tabulated his own list while he waited at Draco's side but he wanted to make certain he hadn't left any one out.

"The list is very short, sir," Dennis said. Harry still hadn't broken him of his 'sir' habit yet.

"I thought it might be," Harry replied.

"And I don't think you're going to like it," Dennis added.

"I'm sure I won't. It hardly makes a difference though. I need to figure this out one way or another," Harry told him.

"Well, the list includes Ron and Hermione of course, also Kingsley, Blake, and Madame X. It's trickier because the stunt you pulled before your orientation made the all papers, so virtually everyone knows you at least _dated_ Draco once, but I tried to narrow it down to people who knew for a fact you two were seeing more of each other then that," Dennis reported dutifully.

"You forgot to list yourself," Harry noted with a smile and watched Dennis pale.

"I've never been to your home, sir," he stammered.

"I was only teasing, Dennis. Lighten up," Harry teased.

"To be honest, I pity the witch or wizard who did this to Mr. Malfoy. I would never, ever want to be on the wrong side of your wand, sir," Dennis added.

Harry looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean by that, Dennis?"

"Well, you're probably the most powerful wizard in England, if not the world, sir," he began and ignored Harry's narrowed eyes. "I'm serious. Even if the rumors about your magical power are false, which I doubt, you have more political clout then any other wizard in Europe," he finished, looked slightly nauseas.

"I only hope it's no one on this list," Harry sighed. "Most of them are people I trust with my life, and I'd hate to think that trust was misplaced." Suddenly Harry felt more exhausted then he had felt since the war. Just thinking of someone on that list trying to kill him or Draco made his nerve endings blister and boil. He wouldn't have wanted to see any of those people in an Azkaban cell, but that's where they would go if found guilty of attempted murder of the Minister.

"By association you can also add any of the Weasley's to the list I suppose. If Ron or Hermione ever mentioned to any of them your relationship, they all have free access to your home as well," Dennis noted.

"I really can't imagine any of these people betraying me in such a way, but I've been wrong about people's character before," he muttered, thinking about Snape.

Dennis was silent and scanning over his lists repeatedly to make sure there wasn't someone he missed. "What about Blake, sir. You said he was staying with you when it happened."

"The hex seemed to have come straight though my bedroom window, but Blake was at our side almost instantly helping to heal Draco's wounds. I doubt he would cast it, but I can't be sure," Harry replied with a groan that turned into a frustrated scream. "Gods, I hate not knowing who I can trust in my own home," he yelled, causing Dennis to flinch.

"Unfortunately, the list just gets longer if the wards were broken or worked around somehow. People who had a grudge against Draco, or even some rebel who wanted to take out the Minister," Dennis offered. "It could be anyone."

"I would prefer it to be a stranger then any of these people," Harry muttered. "Not that it would help us catch them. Have you heard from Mione?"

Dennis shook his head. "Not since she sent me to you here."

Harry sighed and leaned back in his chair. "See if you can find her, please, and have the Aurors round up everyone else on the list for questioning. Draco should be well enough to leave tomorrow night and I can conduct secondary interviews with all of them then."

"You want me to have everyone held until tomorrow night, sir?" Dennis asked.

"Yes. Don't bring anyone in until tomorrow though, just have them all watched so that if it _is _one of them, they don't get spooked and bolt. Leave them alone for tonight though," Harry amended.

"Would you like me to bring you back dinner?" Dennis asked before making his exit.

"No, I don't think I could eat right now," he replied, resuming his watchful gaze over Draco. He heard the door close behind his assistant and he let his head fall into the crook of Draco's neck. "What am I going to do? What if it really was someone on that list? How could I send Ron… or Hermione to prison after everything we've gone through?" Harry quietly sobbed into his shoulder.

He knew that things between them were shaky lately, but Harry had faith that in a few years, they would all get past it and be friends again, probably not like it was before, because too much had changed for all of them, but better than this.

Could Ron do this? He had seen the anger in the redhead's eyes when he saw him and Draco together. Would he hurt him over it? Or worse, could Ron be part of The Code?

"You'll do what's right," a voice rasped against his forehead, and Harry bolted upright to look into the shining silver eyes of Draco, finally awake again.

"What?" Harry asked, unsure what his words had meant.

"No matter what your crisis is, you'll do the right thing. You always do," Draco rasped again, and Harry smiled as he passed him a glass of water.

Draco drank deeply from the cup and handed it back. "So what is your dilemma? I assume it has to do with the reason I'm in St. Mungo's?"

Harry nodded. "Someone tried to kill one of us, but right now the list of suspects is fairly short."

"Blake," Draco said with a curt nod.

Harry stiffened and his eyes went wide. "Did you see him hex you?" Harry asked, wondering if he should call Kingsley and have the team go after him at once.

"No, no nothing like that. I just hate the guy," Draco replied with a wry grin.

Harry rolled his eyes and relaxed again. "I'm sure he hates you more right now."

Draco cocked a blonde eyebrow in question. "Oh? And why is that?"

"Well, he injured his knee really bad during practice while we were dating. He was in the hospital for two days re-growing bone and I never visited him once," Harry said regretfully. "I was a terrible boyfriend to him."

"How long have I been here?" Draco asked, suddenly panicked.

"Only today, you were hit this morning," Harry soothed.

Draco seemed to relax slightly, though he was obviously trying not to move, and when he did he winced quite a bit. "So have you been here the whole time?"

Harry nodded.

"Does that make me special?" Draco asked softly.

Harry nodded again, smiling slightly.

"How special?" Draco asked with a smirk of his own.

A slow but powerful smile widened across Harry's face as he pressed his lips forcefully against Draco's and felt him respond in a burning kiss. A soft moan escaped Draco's throat and Harry bit lightly on his bottom lip. He ran his fingers gently through Draco's pale hair and carefully avoided putting any pressure on his abdomen.

When they broke apart for air, Draco looked cautious. "So last night… it wasn't just a dream right?" he asked tentatively.

"No. It wasn't," Harry confirmed, but then hesitated. "Did you want it to be?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "I said dream, not nightmare, Potter. Really, pay attention would you?" he teased.

"The healer says you'll be fit to go home tomorrow," Harry began.

"And _home_ would be?" Draco asked, a sudden pink blush coloring his cheeks.

"I suppose that's up to you," Harry responded. "Though, I would like you to stay with me until we find out who attacked us."

"Because that worked so well last time," Draco muttered, looking down at where he felt the gash in his skin to be.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you, Draco," Harry whispered, looking utterly defeated.

"Bullocks. I've been telling you all along, it's not your job to protect me. Maybe you should come stay with me," he offered with a wink.

"Well… Grimmauld Place might be a crime scene for a little while," Harry replied thoughtfully. "And if someone attacks us at your place it would eliminate… no one from the list," he added bitterly.

"Why not?" Draco asked.

"Because everyone on the list has the brains and the resources to find out where you live. Maybe we should stay someplace else altogether," Harry mused.

"We could stay with my mother," Draco offered, and then looked instantly regretful. "Though I'm not sure how well _you _would go over with her. She's known about my preference for men for some time now, but not my preference for you," he joked, yet Harry had the suspicion it wasn't a joke at all.

"Why don't you write to her and see what she says. I can have Dennis make us other arrangements if needed," Harry said.

"Seriously?" Draco shouted in surprise. "You really want to stay with my mother? Isn't it too soon in our relationship to be meeting the parents?"

Harry laughed, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I've already met your mother, Draco, and you'll never have the awkward first date conversation with mine."

Draco winced. "I'm so sorry, Harry. That was insensitive of me."

"It's okay. For what it's worth, I think they would have loved you," Harry told him, and then wondered if he were speaking the truth. No one else seemed to love him with Draco, would his parents have done so? "Now, back to this relationship you spoke of earlier," Harry teased.

"Relationship? Did I say that? Oh, you mean the part when I implied that you were all mine and I'm not sharing?" Draco asked with a smug grin.

"I think it was more along the lines of you telling me you loved me," Harry replied with an equally smug grin.

Draco shrugged. "I'd say anything to get you into bed, Potter."

Harry's eyes widened and he started to back away until Draco began laughing, and then wincing from the pain the laughing caused him. "See, that's what you get for teasing the Minister for Magic," Harry mocked gently, all the while checking Draco's wound to make sure it was still healing properly.

"Dually noted," Draco muttered and took several deep breaths to move past the ache in his gut. "I do, though," he said at last.

"You do what?" Harry asked, still distracted by Draco's pain.

"Love you," Draco said. "Always have."

Harry locked onto Draco's smoldering gray eyes and tried to find the joke in his statement but found nothing. "What?"

Draco only nodded. "I didn't really know it back in school of course, but once I knew that I preferred men, I realized at once that that was why I always fought with you. Part of it was jealousy, and part of it was the fact that you were on the wrong side of the war, but I think most of it was just sexual tension."

"The wrong side?" Harry asked with a laugh.

"Caught that did you?" he replied.

Harry kissed his forehead. "Maybe I've been in love with you all this time too," he mused.

A subtle smirk played across Draco's lips. "How could you not have been?"

"Incorrigible," Harry whispered before kissing him again. "Move over," he muttered, but used his wand to gently levitate him an inch or two to the side instead, and he climbed into the bed beside Draco, wrapping his arms carefully around him.

"Maybe they'll just rent us a room here in the hospital," Draco whispered against Harry's cheek. "Then I don't need to go and see mother after all."

"We'll talk about it in the morning," Harry whispered back, a flick of his wand dousing the lights in the room.

"I've been sleeping all day," Draco whined, but Harry felt him yawn only seconds later and smiled to himself as they both drifted off to sleep.

Authors Note: yay, Draco's awake. For reviewing this chapter you'll get more smut in the next one...


	16. Chapter 16 Check the Box

Authors Note: Many many thanks to my beta for this chapter, Laurel (DreamingInColour) who has two really brilliant WIP stories at the moment that you should all go read!!) Also, I've started a yahoo group for anyone who wishes to join which I will be using for various things related to my fiction including update alerts, story/chapter discussion and other things. If you're interested you can join at groups dot yahoo dot com/group/Digitallace/

Chapter 16 Check the Box

It's more important than anything not to let your emotions get the best of you in any situation. I'm not just talking about love. Obviously it's a foolish idea to let yourself fall for a john, but don't underestimate all the other emotions that plague the human soul. You can't let yourself get too sad, too happy, or even too angry; none of these bode well for a future in this career, in this lifestyle.

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"Harry, I swear to Merlin if you don't stop playing savior with me-" Draco began but was promptly cut off by Harry's narrowed eyes.

"You can't pick and choose which parts of my personality you want to deal with, Draco. This is me, take it or leave it," Harry demanded, challenging Draco for an immediate answer.

They were alone in Harry's office at the Ministry and Dennis was on his way over to watch Draco and make sure nothing happened to him while Harry was interrogating potential murder suspects and friends. The fact that those two things were synonymous was weighing heavily on Harry's heart.

"What if I leave it?" Draco challenged. Harry's parental coddling since being released from the hospital was beginning to wear on him, but even Harry knew he didn't mean what he said, and that he would never discard a potential relationship with the Gryffindor hero.

"Well then it's on you, Draco. I can't make your decisions for you. You're a big boy now," Harry bit out. "But it won't change the fact that you're staying in this room and you'll remain under my protection until I catch whoever did this."

When Draco first thought of Harry devoting all of his free time to protecting him, this wasn't what he had expected. He thought he would be holed up in a room in some foreign land with Harry naked and all for him, not locked away with Harry's assistant in a Ministry office. "Well fine then, I'll take it, seeing as though you leave me no choice in the matter, but you had better be planning to make this up to me," Draco huffed.

Harry smiled tightly and walked over to stand in front of Draco's still too pale form. The incident had taken an obvious toll on him and Harry was afraid to be too affectionate, too overwhelmed by his desire for him and potentially hurt Draco further. Draco, however, knew well the extent of his injuries and banished the dull ache he still felt in his abdomen and pulled Harry closer. "I'm fine," he whispered for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

"You almost died," Harry breathed, his eyes taking on the hurt that they had held most of Draco's waking moments in the hospital.

"But I didn't," Draco informed him, unwisely attempting to prove it by poking at his wounds, making him wince. "See, I'm fine, or at least I will be very soon. The healer said I was fit as a fiddle, in fact, I think he wanted to ask me out," Draco teased

Harry rolled his eyes but smiled all the same. "I'd see him at the end of my wand if he even attempted it."

"That's the kind of defense I can handle," Draco responded, kissing his overprotective Gryffindor.

Harry sagged against him, not able to get enough of Draco's passion and fire. They had probably kissed over a dozen times since Draco had woken up the day before, and every single time felt like the first. Harry memorized every ridge and every smooth expanse of Draco's mouth, as if that kiss would be their last. He had little fear that it would be, but he never wanted to run the risk of forgetting even a second of his time with Draco.

There was a knock at the door causing them to reluctantly part, and Draco hoped Harry had missed his pained expression as Harry's hand accidentally grazed his wound. It would be completely healed in another day or so, but at the moment there was still exposed and raw flesh where the gash was healing.

"Sir, your friends… the suspects… they're ready," Dennis stuttered, unsure of what to call the familiar group of people in the interrogation room.

Harry smiled sadly and nodded. "I'm on my way," he said as he walked to the door. "Stay put," he instructed Draco, who stuck out his tongue. So what if it was childish, Harry was treating him like a child, so why not act that way.

"Love you," Harry mouthed from the door and Draco's heart beat faster as those simple silent words made his temporary prison sentence in Harry's office that much more bearable.

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Harry smiled to himself on the way over to the Auror offices. Draco was obviously irked by Harry's constant vigilance, but it couldn't be helped at the moment, and the sooner he found out who was behind the attack in his home, the faster their relationship could resemble something normal or at least as normal as things were allowed to be in Harry's world.

He put on his careful Minister mask and entered the first stark white room. Madame X sat in a cold metal chair looking confused but otherwise unfazed by her summons to the Ministry building, although she did seem surprised to be greeted by Harry.

"Madame X, how are you this evening?" Harry asked, pulling out the chair and sitting across from her.

"I'm curious as to why I'm being called here," she replied. "I assumed that my profession wouldn't be brought to the Ministry's attention because of my high reaching clientele, but alas, here I am, and here you are."

"This has nothing to do with your escort service; this has to do with an attack. Where were you Thursday morning at around eight?" Harry asked.

Her eyes widened and she stared incredulously. "What happened, is everything okay, is Draco okay?" she asked.

Harry sighed and nodded. If her reaction was even remotely genuine she had no knowledge of the attack. "He'll be fine, but the fact is he was injured, almost killed, in my home and through my own wards, which I must say are very powerful."

"Can I see him?" she asked.

"Not just yet. I'm not letting him out of my sight until I find out who did this and the list of suspects is very short at the moment," Harry muttered, still uneasy that he was about to have to interrogate his former boss and then his best friends.

"And I'm on that list?" she asked knowingly.

"Yes, you're one of the few that knew of my relationship with Draco as well as the fact that he was staying with me," Harry replied.

"But I don't know where you live," she corrected.

Harry frowned and shook his head. "You do. I had to give you the address for you to send Draco over that first night."

"It was forwarded directly to Draco, no one else ever saw the parchment, not even me. Most of the time these things self-destruct once you read them," she told him and he could see it in her eyes that it was the truth.

"Then there is another matter I need to discuss with you," Harry told her.

"What matter is that, Minister?" she asked formally.

"I would like to purchase Draco's freedom from his contract with you," Harry said bluntly.

Her eyes went wide momentarily and then narrowed at once as she realized the Minister was not teasing. "You couldn't afford it, Minister. Draco's my highest performer."

"I think you'd be surprised at what I can and cannot afford, Madame," he replied.

She shook her head. "There will be no negotiations on this, Harry. I'll barter away any other, but not Malfoy."

"Then we are at an impasse, because he's already mine," Harry informed her firmly.

"He's bound to me, Potter," she spat. "By oath and contract."

"No escort contract will hold up in front of the Wizengamot," Harry scoffed.

"It need not go to the Wizengamot, _Minister_. It's a blood contract, which will turn his resolve to side with me whenever I invoke it," she informed him. "Have fun playing house with my Draco while you can, because the minute you find his attacker, he'll be back in my employ."

Harry scowled at her and let the fringes of his magic tease the air in the room, and he could tell she felt it. "You'd do well to remember who I am, Madame."

She expended a good deal of effort not to wince against the heat of Harry's magic, but she eventually won out against it. "Is that a threat?"

"The Minister doesn't make threats, but be warned that Draco is mine, and I will have that contract in the end, I suggest you think on what price you would like to name. I'm a reasonable man and don't expect you to part with him for free," Harry replied evenly and left the room, taking a deep steadying breath as he did.

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Draco paced Harry's office, eager to see his Gryffindor again. He could hardly believe his luck in winning over the most important man who had ever existed in Draco's life. From the age of eleven Draco had been plagued by Harry, always in his shadow, always standing on the edge of the greatness that Harry would become. In his sixth year the opportunity finally came when he could best Potter at everything by turning the war to benefit him, and he took it.

It was his biggest regret.

If he hadn't been trying so hard to be better than Potter, he never would have followed his father's footsteps. If he would have just focused on being better _for_ Potter, he would have joined the Order instead, and then maybe he would have experienced what he now had with Harry, years ago.

But that was past, and now all Draco could do was try to be better for the present and the future. Harry was as good as his if he didn't screw it up and he yearned for a moment to be alone with him, away from the chaos of the attack, and the bustling of the hospital and the guilt Harry felt over interrogating his best friends.

Draco secretly hoped it was Blake, so that the attractive former flame of Harry's would quietly disappear from their lives, but he wasn't holding out for such a simple solution. Normally he would wish it to be Weasley so that he wouldn't find the two one day reconciled and find himself at a ginger haired Christmas at Harry's side. Talk about awkward. But no, he didn't want that to be the result either, because it would simply devastate Harry, and he wanted so badly for his boyfriend to be happy.

Boyfriend.

The word made him laugh out loud, which made Dennis look at him curiously.

"What would you call Harry?" he asked Dennis suddenly.

"Er, Minister, sir, or boss," he replied, looking confused by what Draco meant with his question.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Not you, me. What do I call him?"

"How about 'Harry'?" Dennis offered unhelpfully.

"I know his name, idiot Gryffindor. I mean, what is he to me?" Draco asked, now more to himself then Harry's nitwit assistant.

"Well, you shouldn't call him an idiot Gryffindor, that's for certain, and you should probably be asking him, unless of course you would like to make it an official memo," Dennis replied sarcastically.

Draco was about to roll his eyes again when the idea repeated itself in his mind and a bubble of laughter escaped his lips. "Can I really do that?"

"Well, _you_ can't but I can," Dennis replied.

"Well, get to it then," Draco ordered, gesturing Dennis over to Harry's desk.

Dennis shook his head, unable to understand how he had been relegated to babysitting Draco Malfoy, and pulled out a sheet of blue parchment. "Would you like him to be able to check a box with the answer, or would you like him to fill out his response in essay format?" Dennis asked sarcastically.

"Both," Draco replied with a pleased smile, before dictating what he would like the memo to read.

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Harry was on his way to the next room, where Kingsley sat waiting for him, when a small scrap of blue parchment the back of his head. He grabbed it and yanked it open, perplexed by the seal, which read 'From the Desk of Harry Potter, Minister for Magic'.

After a wafting of yellow magic tendrils fizzled away, assuring that Harry was in fact, Harry, the note opened, revealing the small tight handwriting of his assistant. Harry grinned and rolled his eyes. "What in Merlin's name does Draco have him doing over there?" he mused to himself.

_Draco Malfoy has a question of great importance for the Minister to answer at once. Please indicate which of these terms could be used to describe him. _

_A.) Friend_

_B.) Boyfriend_

_C.) Exclusive Boyfriend_

_D.) Lover_

_E.) Future Husband_

_In essay format, please indicate the reasoning for your selection._

_Please return this form at your earliest convenience. _

_(Sorry, sir) _

_Dennis Creevy_

_Assistant to the Minister for Magic (hopefully still)_

Harry chuckled and borrowed a quill from a nearby desk, scribbled his answers and sent the memo back to his office.

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As the blue parchment whizzed past him, Draco made a grab for it, but it eluded him easily and instead opted to hover in front of Dennis until he took it from the air and opened it.

Draco attempted to snatch it out of his grip but the parchment gave him a nasty shock and remained firmly in Dennis's hands. "You can't mess with the Minister's mail," Dennis teased.

"Fine, would you just read it already?" Draco asked impatiently.

Dennis scanned the document and chuckled, then cleared his throat. "He checked all the boxes, plus added one of his own calling you 'a pain in the arse' and then under the essay section he wrote 'because I love you, now stop wasting office supplies and be patient, I'll be back soon'."

"Anything else?" Draco asked, trying to mask his own smile.

"He says to be nice to me," Dennis added.

"Liar," Draco replied and leaned back in his chair, the grin he had been trying to suppress most of the day finally spreading across his face.

"Okay, I made that part up, but he really does love you. You should have seen the way he looked after you at the hospital. I heard he even yelled at Mrs. Granger-Weasley over you," Dennis said.

Draco didn't want his exclusive boyfriend, lover and future husband to fight with his friends. Everyone knew how little of those Harry had to spare lately, and that most people only used him for his fame or money. But even so, the fact that Harry defended their relationship to his oldest and dearest friend made him feel a smidge more warm and fuzzy that he was used to.

Could this be real?

Could it be possible that Harry Potter, his Harry was really in love with him? He knew people who let the word fall from their mouths long before they could ever really mean it. Clients had told him that they loved him, just filling a moment of need, but obviously they couldn't. Was it the same for Harry, did he feel genuinely, or was he just looking to fill the need to have someone to love?

Draco never said it unless he meant it, not even to fulfill a client's wish, and he felt it for Harry, but then again he had known of his attraction to Potter for years now, not just weeks or days like Harry. Could it be true, could Harry really be in love with him after such a short time?

He hoped so. He had never dare hope for something as strongly as he hoped for that.

Authors Note: Okay, so I know this chapter was sort of filler fluff, but I swear I'm working up to something bigger. I hope you all voted today (at least those of you that can) For reviewing this chapter, you'll get a set of polaroids that Harry took of Draco in the shower


	17. Chapter 17 Favors and Promises

Authors Note: Many thanks to my beta Laurel for her work on this chapter.

Chapter 17 Favors and Promises

It's hard to remember a time before I was an escort; hard to remember past all the false identities I assumed, all the lies I told in the wake of my career just pretending to be the perfect date. None of this is terribly helpful when it comes to your personal life though, because you can't pretend to be the perfect date for a day or a weekend, you have to be yourself, flaws and all. A real relationship will reveal everything about you, your beliefs, your habits and even the quirky details that make you uniquely different, and if someone is meant for you, they'll love all of it, not just the perfect things.

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Harry paced apprehensively in front of the room that held Kingsley, his old mentor and now employee. It still seemed nearly impossible for him to have been brought in as Minister, but here he was, at what should have been the pinnacle of his life and career, but instead he had to interrogate his friends.

"Harry, what's this about?" Kingsley asked him the moment Harry stepped foot inside the room.

"There was an attack," Harry told him.

"On Mr. Malfoy in your home, Hermione told me, but why am _I _here?" he asked.

"Because the list of suspects was made very short based on knowledge and access," Harry told him sadly. He didn't want it to be Kingsley; he didn't want it to be any of them except perhaps Madame X, who he wanted to see rot in Azkaban one way or another, so why not for this?

"You think _I_ attacked him?" Kingsley asked, staring incredulously at Harry. "After everything we've been through, you think that I would hurt someone you care for?"

"I'm just trying to conduct a thorough investigation, just like you taught me," Harry replied guiltily.

He hated this; but what he hated more was that subconsciously he already knew who had cursed Draco, if he only let himself think about it.

Kingsley nodded solemnly. "This is going to make it look as though you don't trust me."

"I hope it will look like the new Minister is willing to do anything to solve a crime, even if it means interrogating his best friends," Harry replied.

"I guess we'll see," Kingsley replied with a shrug.

"I just need you to answer a few short questions under Veritaserum, and you'll be free to go," Harry told him.

Kingsley agreed at once and Harry thanked him, giving over the investigation to Roberts, the new assistant head of the Auror department as he went to the next room.

He felt certain that Kingsley would pass the questioning though, as he entered the room and spotted a very nervous looking Blake. "Why?" Harry asked as he pulled a chair out and sat across from the handsome redhead.

"Why what?" Blake asked, his eyes widening slightly.

"Why did you try to kill Draco?" he asked, now more than certain it had been his ex by the way he deftly avoided Harry's gaze, his eyes darting around the room as if looking for an escape.

"I didn't- I – I helped you save him remember?" Blake pleaded.

"None of those spells were very strong, and most of them missed," Harry guessed. Truth be told he was so frantic when it happened that he couldn't really tell what Blake was doing.

"I tried to help," he repeated, looking around the room, as if searching for an exit.

"You know," Harry began, attempting to look relaxed. "I've been thinking long and hard about what happened that morning, and I realized something. If the curse had come through that window it wouldn't have hit Draco where it did. The trajectory was all wrong."

Blake didn't say a word; he just became more and more pale as the seconds passed.

"In fact the only way for the curse hit Draco's chest and side as it did would be if it came from the doorway, which is where you were," Harry stated matter-of-factly.

"I-I," Blake stuttered, but Harry held up a hand to stop him.

"Here's what I think, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I doubt I am. I think you sent a curse to hit Draco and immediately sent a second to break the window, throwing off the investigation by making it look as though the curse originated from outside the house. Then suddenly you appeared at the scene and were in the perfect position to pretend to heal Draco, attempting to remove yourself as a suspect," Harry finished at last, glaring at Blake across the table.

"I can explain." Blake conceded.

"I would really like that, because I can't seem to figure out why you would do this to Draco. We've been over for years, you and I, and more than that, I've had other boyfriends since we broke up. Why now, why Draco?" Harry asked.

Blake swallowed thickly and clamped his eyes shut. "I was approached by someone. They knew about me and that I was about to be ejected from the Hawaiian team for improper conduct. They promised they would make the charges disappear if I did this one thing."

"You agreed to kill another man to save your job?" Harry asked incredulously.

"No, I swear I didn't know it would kill him, they said it would only cut him and scare him. I hadn't heard of the curse before he gave it to me, and I really did try to heal him, but none of the spells I knew worked," Blake pleaded, leaning across the table and attempting to grab Harry's clenching fists. "Please, Harry, you have to believe me!"

Harry leaned back and pulled his hands roughly out of Blake's reach. "Who ordered this? Who gave you this spell?"

Blake shuddered and shrugged. "I don't know. They wore a red cloak and a gold mask. I never saw his face. The spell was _sectumsempra_. Please Harry, I'll do anything I can to help, I didn't mean to hurt anyone."

Harry moved swiftly away from him and headed for the door. "Roberts," he called. "Take this man to the dungeons and question him thoroughly with truth serum. I want a full report on my desk tonight and have the Weasley's released," he ordered before stomping off, back up to his office.

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Draco was trying not to die of boredom waiting for Harry.

He would go from pacing the expansive office, to staring dully out the magical windows, to flopping dramatically in the armchair across from Harry's wide wooden desk.

"Why do you get to sit in Harry's chair?" he finally asked Dennis when he was too tired of being cooped up to keep silent.

"Because I'm his assistant," Dennis replied coolly, making a show of placing his feet up on the desk.

Draco raised one delicate eyebrow and sneered at the other man. "I think boyfriend trumps assistant."

Dennis merely shrugged and remained annoyingly silent and uncooperative; he refused to write Harry another memo on Draco's behalf, and he wouldn't even let Draco snoop about in Harry's office, inspecting it for clues about his boyfriends work life.

He was considering demanding tea and scones, which he never ate, or initiating another argument with the silent assistant, just for some attention, when the door opened and Harry stepped in looking weary and beaten.

Dennis quickly removed his feet from Harry's desk and removed himself from the Minister's chair, which normally Draco would have been quick to point out to his boyfriend, but Harry's demeanor made him anxious.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked immediately, pulling him into a hug.

"It was Blake," Harry sighed, letting his head fall into the crook of Draco's neck. "I didn't want to believe it, but the more I thought about it the more certain I was."

"Well, I'm sure many men would kill to be with you, I just wish it hadn't been me he wanted to kill," Draco grumbled, trying to comfort Harry, and wrap his mind around the idea at the same time. He had wished all along that the attacker was Harry's sexy ex, just to rid him from Harry's life, but he assumed that a victory dance would be out of line.

"This isn't about me," Harry shouted, pushing Draco away. "It's the Code; _they_ got him to attack you."

Draco pulled Harry back against him and ran fingers through his unruly black hair. "Calm down, Harry. We'll figure it all out. Everything will be fine," he promised, even though he didn't really feel it at the moment.

"No, we're going to a safe house," Harry told him firmly. "Dennis, any progress on the arrangements?"

Dennis rushed to Harry's side and provided him with an envelope. "These are the details, you're expected tonight."

"Perfect," Harry replied, taking the envelope and walking over to his desk.

Draco followed, wishing Dennis would leave so that he could maul Harry on his desk. "Have you had anything to eat?" he asked instead.

Harry shook his head. "Dennis, would you grab us something from the cafeteria?"

"Certainly, sir. Any special requests?" he replied.

"You know what I like, Draco?" Harry responded, turning to his boyfriend.

Draco shrugged distractedly, thinking about what he was going to do to Harry as soon as Dennis left. "A sandwich or something is fine," he replied, licking his lips for his upcoming feast of Harry.

Dennis nodded before leaving. The very second the door clicked shut, Draco was upon Harry like a wild cat, kissing his jaw and insinuating his fingers under the man's shirt.

Harry hissed and his head fell back, giving Draco better access to his throat as a moan escaped his lips, vibrating his chest like it was a metal drum. "Finally alone," Draco whispered.

Harry chuckled, his voice laced with lust and amusement. "Shouldn't we talk about this?" he asked, a little breathless.

"We've been doing too much talking," Draco groaned and sucked on Harry's earlobe.

"I'm serious," Harry moaned.

Draco took a step back and eyed Harry suspiciously. "Okay, fine you want to talk, we'll talk_. I_ want to fuck you on that great big Minister desk, how about you?"

Harry blushed lightly and chuckled again. "That's not exactly the kind of talking I was referring too."

"Dirty talk?" Draco asked, with a smirk.

Harry just shook his head in a mixture of humor and disdain. "What are we?" he asked at last, the humor draining away from him.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Is it not enough that I tell you I love you, I need to give you a title as well?"

"I didn't get the opportunity to send _you_ a memo," he pointed out, but Draco just continued to pout. Sighing, Harry shook his head and pulled Draco in close. "Open that package," Harry said, pointing to the envelope on his desk.

"I'd rather open this one," Draco replied, grabbing Harry's belt roughly.

Harry smiled and shook his head. "Just indulge me for a minute."

Rolling his eyes, Draco reached for the package and opened it, pulling out photos and papers. "When are you going to be indulging _me_?" he muttered as he flipped though them quickly, but he dropped the subject as he realized what he was looking at.

"We're going to stay with my mother?" he asked incredulously.

Harry nodded, looking slightly guilty. "It was your idea," he pointed out quickly.

"I wasn't being serious. Do you know what she'd say if I showed up on her doorstep with you on my arm?" he shouted.

"She saved me in the war, could she really hate me so much?" Harry asked innocently.

Draco laughed harshly and nodded. "She'll no doubt regret the day she saved you and tell you so every other minute."

"She can't be that bad," Harry grumbled.

"She's not that bad, not usually, but she loves me, and no one, not even the Minister for Magic, will be good enough for me in her eyes," Draco muttered.

Harry smiled sweetly and kissed him hard. "She'll get used to me," he replied, looking very sure of himself.

"Can't we go somewhere else, just the two of us?" Draco begged.

"This has already been arranged. It would be rude to back out," he replied with a sneaky grin.

"Right," Draco huffed. "Well, then you'd better take me now, because there will be no public display of affection at mother's," he added.

"What a romantic proposition," Harry cooed sarcastically.

Draco ignored him and began unbuttoning Harry's shirt, while Harry followed behind him re-buttoning each one until Draco fumed, crossing his arms over his chest and frowning. "What now?"

Harry sighed and shook his head. "Is it so wrong that I want our first time to be special and not some quick shag on my office desk?"

"Fuck," Draco growled and sat heavily in the chair he had spent most of the day in. "So what would you like to do until Dennis gets back with our lunch?" he asked, his voice softening as he realized that Harry was right, but still disappointed that it meant it could be days or even weeks until he could bed his beautiful Minister boyfriend.

Boyfriend. The title made him smile, thinking that for once, for the first time ever, that it wasn't just an act.

"What are you thinking about?" Harry asked, a soft smile playing on his own face.

Draco blushed furiously, unsure whether or not he should say the sappy things he had been thinking out loud, but eventually resolved to just be honest. "I've never had a boyfriend before," he muttered.

Harry beamed, his face lighting up like a kid at Christmas, as he pulled Draco up and into a searing kiss. They lingered that way, while Harry guided him to the main office chair and pushed him into it. Draco grinned, liking the feel of the plush leather Minister's chair and was about to tell Harry about Dennis and his inappropriate placement of feet, when Harry leaned over him and licked a hot line along his jaw, pushing all thoughts of the lowly assistant from Draco's mind.

"So, mister Minister," Harry purred seductively. "What can I assist you with today?"

Trying to suppress a smirk, but not quite pulling it off, Draco tilted his head to the side and cleared his throat. "What are you offering to assist me with?"

Harry winked and dropped to his knees in front of him, slowly unbuckling Draco's trousers and staring into his wide expectant eyes. "I think I may have found something that could benefit from my expertise."

Draco's breath came out in short hissing gasps as Harry wrapped his long fingers around him, lifting his cock from inside his boxers and gazed at it reverently. He was hard the very moment Harry offered to 'assist him' in that seductive baritone.

His head lolled back in the chair as Harry took the tip of him in his mouth, swirling his tongue around the head and dipping it gently into the slit to savor each flavor of him. He felt Harry swallow him down, inch by inch until the end of him was brushing the back of Harry's throat.

He dug his nails into the armrests when Harry began to move, alternating between sucking, licking and fisting his cock. With each movement he grew closer to climax, and Harry never lost his rhythm, his mouth like a burning vice around Draco's swollen member.

He could feel the pressure in his groin building and tensing, waiting for that moment, that one flick of the tongue that would send him crashing over the edge, but it didn't come, it just kept stacking pleasure after pleasure on top of itself until he thought he might sob under the weight of it. Never in all his life or sexual career had he ever had someone who made him feel like Harry did.

The intensity was bordering on breaking point when he looked down to see Harry's brilliant green eyes boring into his own and he lost it. The orgasm took him and rolled over and through him and all the while his eyes remained locked on Harry's, even as white stars burst in his vision, he refused to look away.

When Harry pulled away from him, licking his lips and smirking slightly, Draco still couldn't form proper words. "Will that be all for today, Minister?" he asked coyly, hopping up to sit on the edge of the desk.

Draco only nodded and stared blankly, feeling the last fleeting waves of pleasure shudder through him. This seemed to amuse Harry greatly as he helped Draco buckle his trousers and try and reorient himself.

"Did you lie about any of it?" Draco asked suddenly, his voice cracking slightly.

Harry looked over curiously and shrugged. "Lie about any of what?"

"Back at your place on the first day you told me about your tattoo, which turned out to be true, and now, wow, I mean wow. You obviously weren't lying about giving amazing head either. So what about the rest?" he asked, his voice returning to normal.

"I'm sure you'll have more fun finding out on your own," Harry relied with a wink.

"As long as you promise I'll get to," Draco replied.

Harry sunk down into Draco's lap and kissed him. "Promise."

"Okay, I got ham and cheese on rye and a turkey club, I hope that'll work, sir," Dennis said as he bustled in, his arms laden with food.

Draco blushed and looked up into Harry's mirthful face. "You didn't lock the door?"

Harry shook his head and grinned. "I was sort of hoping he'd come back during. I wanted to see how you'd handle getting a blowjob under the desk. A Minister needs to operate well under pressure," he replied with a wink.

"Well, lucky I'm not the Minister. I would have blown it for sure," he scoffed and Harry only laughed again. "Did you have to pass the same pressure test?"

"Not yet, would you like to test me?" he whispered.

"You'd better count on it," Draco replied firmly. "Poor Dennis," he mused as an afterthought, thinking of the boy wandering in, and Harry nearly fell out of his lap with laughter.

"I love you," Harry said once he finally calmed his laughter.

"Love you too," Draco replied, never getting tired of saying it, or tired of hearing it.

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Authors Note:Just so everyone knows, I'm in the process of packing and moving into a new house I just recently bought. The move is being spread over a few weeks, and hopefully this will not hamper the updates in any way, but on the off chance I can't post a chapter on time, please forgive me. I am writing 2 new oneshots at the moment, one to be posted at the end of November in celebration of one of my beta's Robert and his birthday, the other which is by far the smuttiest thing I've ever written, and I'm not sure when it will be finished, but you all will be the first to know.


	18. Chapter 18 A Mother's Love

Authors Note: Many thanks to my good friend Laurel who beta's this story for me!

Chapter 18 A Mother's Love

It's difficult to find people to support you emotionally when you're in a career like this. You'll get different reactions from everyone, some will loudly protest it, some will mind their own business, some with silently stew over the idea and some will even write you off altogether, but do not expect any of them to be happy about your career choice.

It's funny how your family and friends are supposed to love you no matter what, apparently that rule flies out the window when you're having sex with lots of men for money.

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"I'm telling you, Harry, this trip is going to be miserable for you. Are you sure we can't go somewhere else?" Draco asked for the umpteenth time.

"Positive," Harry replied. "Dennis will be back any moment with our luggage and we have a Portkey to your mother's house in an hour."

Draco sighed and shook his head. "I haven't seen her in over a year, you know?"

"I know," Harry replied with a smile. "It seems like just as good a time as any for a reunion."

"Do you really think the first time I see mother in over a year I should be showing up with my _boyfriend_ in tow?" Draco asked incredulously. He loved Harry, but he was certain that his mother would be furious, not to mention unkind to Harry.

"It sounds like I'll be towing you," Harry muttered, still grinning. "Besides, how bad could it be?"

"Bad," Draco replied with a grimace. "In fact you've probably just made it worse by asking that question out loud."

"Rubbish," Harry laughed. "She's a lovely woman and I'm sure even if she doesn't approve she'll be pleasant and tactful."

A loud bark of laughter escaped Draco's lips and he sank into the armchair across from Harry's desk. "Have you _met_ my mother?"

"You shouldn't be so pessimistic," Harry chastised. "This is your mother we're talking about. I would give anything to be able to introduce you to my mum."

Draco sighed wearily and nodded. He knew this was a big deal for Harry, but the last time he had seen his mother was over the holidays nearly two years previous and she had spent the entire time lecturing him on continuing in Madame X's employ and how he was ruining his life. He felt as though there was nothing he could do to please her and it had been that way ever since that first night when he saved her from this very fate.

"I'm sure your mother would have been far more accepting than Narcissa's bound to be," Draco replied with a heavy sigh.

"You never know, maybe she'll surprise you," Harry mused.

"And muggles can fly on brooms," Draco noted sarcastically.

Harry laughed and kissed his boyfriend on the forehead. "Everything will be fine, I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Potter," he replied scathingly, but Harry had no time to retort because Dennis arrived with their luggage levitating ahead of him.

"All set, sir," Dennis announced. "The red luggage is yours and the green is Mr. Malfoy's."

"How very Hogwarts," Draco muttered. His mood was getting worse as every minute ticked away bringing him closer to his mother's eminent foul mood.

"Quit being such an arse and help me with these," Harry told him while navigating the red luggage over to the fireplace.

Draco flicked his wand distractedly and sent his own suitcases tumbling over Harry's and then continued to sulk in his armchair.

Harry sighed and sat in Draco's lap, looping his arms around the blonde's neck. "If it's really that important to you I can make an excuse and we'll go somewhere else," he offered.

Draco perked up immediately and hugged Harry to him. "Really?"

"No, not really. You need to see your mother. She misses you," Harry told him with a laugh.

"How would you know she misses me?" Draco asked, not even remotely amused by Harry's trick.

"All mother's miss their sons when they haven't seen them in almost two years," Harry replied knowingly.

Draco huffed and muttered something along the lines of 'not mine' and then conceded with a nod. "What if we just stayed for dinner?"

"We'll stay for the weekend and see how things go," Harry countered.

One weekend sounded infinitely better then being forced to stay with his mother until the Aurors caught whoever was behind the attack, which could take years. "Deal," he finally agreed.

"The portkey is glowing," Dennis announced.

Harry leapt up from Draco's lap and held his hand over the shiny golden key that would be their transport to France. Draco followed reluctantly and took Harry's hand. "Are you ready?" Harry asked.

"You should be the one preparing yourself. As bad as this will be for me, it'll be worse for you," Draco told him haughtily.

"I can hold my own," Harry replied and turned to Dennis. "As soon as we arrive, Cissy will send a house elf over by floo for the luggage," he told him and Dennis nodded, having already known the plan.

"Cissy," Draco asked with a gaping expression. "Since when do you call _my mother_ Cissy?"

Harry only smiled widely and winked just before letting his hand close around the key. Draco didn't have time to demand a proper answer before he was being pulled through space toward his mother's house.

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Narcissa had left behind the heritage of Malfoy Manor ages ago. Between her husband residing in Azkaban, her son becoming a prostitute and herself being under persecution for her families hand in the war, the expansive marble manor held too many bad memories to keep, let alone have to spend her days wandering its vast and numerous halls.

It was far too large for her alone to reside in, even if she filled it with an army of servants it would have felt nothing but cold and hollow.

So instead she sold the manor and bought a small chateau just outside of Paris, where she could blend in with the beautiful French residents and no one would even look twice as she did her shopping or went for walks down to the local Village Centre.

Narcissa did one last check over the guestrooms before bustling down to the main floor kitchens to check on dinner. She was on her way to make sure the dinner table was set correctly when she felt the wards tingle across her skin announcing her guests' presence.

A small wrinkled house elf wearing a lacy white tea towel met her in the entrance hall but Narcissa shooed her away. "I'll take care of greeting our guests, Nippy."

"Oui, Madame," the house elf replied with a bow and scurried away.

She opened the door slowly, taking in the sight of her son looking princely in a pair of navy trousers and an ice blue sweater and the Minister for Magic, none other than Harry Potter at his side, looking quite dapper in black slacks and a long sleeve green dress shirt.

"Welcome boys," she cooed, pulling first Draco followed by Harry into a tight hug.

Draco shot Harry a confused and suspicious look before following his mother into the parlor.

"I trust you had a pleasant trip," she asked, gesturing for the boy's to take a seat.

"All three seconds of it, yes," Draco responded sarcastically and was met by stern glares from either side of him as both his mother and Harry attempted to discourage any further rudeness.

"Nippy, you may fetch the boys' things from the Ministry," she called, and the house elf popped into the room only to nod and pop out once more.

"I'm so pleased to have you both here," she cheered with a bright smile. "Draco my love, it's been ages since you've come to visit."

"So you did sell it?" Draco asked, looking around the unfamiliar room. "When I saw you last you were only considering it."

"The Manor? Oh yes, I had to get out from under it. It was a blessing really, when the Ministry unfroze our vault and released the deed back to me I was already so used to living elsewhere that it just seemed natural to let it go," she responded. "I'll give you a tour of this place later."

"It's not the manor," Draco sighed, letting his fingers caress the velvet chair that once used to sit in a grand white marble entry parlor.

"No, and it only has seven bedrooms, but it should be enough for you both to have your own space during your stay," she chimed.

"Seven bedrooms? That really _is_ downsizing. The manor had more than double," Draco criticized.

Harry looked over incredulously. "I had no idea you were such a snob, Draco. Seven bedrooms?" he scoffed. "Your loft doesn't even have _one_."

Draco blushed and shook his head. "That's not the point. Malfoy Manor is a one of a kind home; it should have gone to me."

"And what would you have done with it? Settle down and have children?" she asked with a laugh.

"Maybe I would," Draco replied petulantly, although he frowned at the idea of relegating Harry to the sterile marble manor. His mother's new home really did have far more charm and personality, and he supposed that seven bedrooms was enough if he and Harry should decide to have children and came to visit over the holidays, but then he didn't even know if Harry wanted children.

"Do you want a family, Harry?" his mother asked as if reading his mind.

"Yes, Mrs. Malfoy, very much," Harry answered without hesitation and Draco's heart swelled as he thought of the four of them, for there would be one girl and one boy, in front of a large Christmas tree. He and Harry would cuddle up by the fire watching their children tear into boxes and gift-wrap, screaming as they discovered their presents inside.

Harry looked over at him and grinned nervously, as if suddenly recalling that he hadn't told Draco about his want for kids first and suddenly wasn't sure if Draco would feel the same.

"Oh, Harry, I told you to call me Cissy. Anyway, you'd make an excellent father, I'm sure," she cooed, patting him on the knee. "Don't you think so, Draco?" she asked, turning her attention to her son.

Draco started to feel uncomfortable with his mother's fawning over Harry, as it was bound to change the moment she knew they were a couple. He wasn't sure how to broach the topic with her though, should he hint around at it until she discovered the truth on her own, or should he take the Potter method of blunt bandage ripping?

"Harry and I are dating, mother," he told her, opting for the latter method.

His boyfriend blushed furiously and looked over at Narcissa, as if trying to hold back laughter.

"I know that," Narcissa huffed as she waved Draco's comment off. "Why else would I have asked him about his want for children? There needs to be a Malfoy heir, even if he is adopted."

Draco gaped and tried to refrain from screaming. "How did you know?" he asked her, but his glare was all for Harry. He knew there was something fishy about the plans to come here, and the way he referred his mother as 'Cissy'.

"When I read about your date in the Prophet, I sought Harry out to question his intentions," she replied honestly.

"And what did he say?" Draco asked, suddenly less angry and more curious about what Harry said about him before they began dating.

Narcissa looked to Harry, who smiled shyly and decided to answer Draco for himself. "I told her that if you'd have me I would hold onto you forever," he told Draco, Harry's emerald eyes boring into his own.

"It was the sweetest thing I had ever heard and I gave him my permission to pursue you. When he wrote to update me on the accident and to ask to stay here, he told me that he hoped he had won you over at last," she added, nearly in tears.

"You always had me," Draco told him directly. "But you should have told me. It would have saved me a load of grief over how to break it to her," he chastised.

"Now where would be the fun in that?" Harry teased.

Draco rolled his eyes and Narcissa laughed and got up, gesturing for the boys to follow her. "I'll show you to your rooms."

"Rooms?" Draco asked. "As in more than one?"

"One for each of you, that's right," she noted and continued to walk down a corridor covered in rich brocade wallpaper in a warm golden yellow.

"But we don't need separate rooms," Draco pointed out.

Narcissa halted suddenly and whirled to face her son. "Until you're married, you'll be sleeping in separate rooms."

Draco rolled his eyes once more and huffed. "This is ridiculous mother, we're adults."

"_Unmarried _adults living temporarily under _my_ roof," she corrected as she unlocked one door and passed the next one to unlock the last door at the end of the corridor. "Draco, you take that one," she gestured pointing to the first door she unlocked, "and Harry you'll be in this room," she added, indicating the one she was standing in front of.

"And let me guess," Draco began snidely. "Yours is the door in the middle?"

"Precisely," she chirped. "So no skulking around in the middle of the night."

"Do I need to remind you that I have sex with men for money, mother?" Draco countered, not really seeing the point of her keeping Harry away from him.

"I'd rather you not remind me of that unpleasantness, and all that will change now that you have Harry. A proper gentlemen doesn't lay with others when they are in a serious relationship," she chided.

Draco sighed and Harry shot him a crooked grin and disappeared into his own room with a wave.

"Now, get settled in, dinner is in a quarter hour," she informed them before leaving Draco alone in the hall, suddenly wishing he and Harry were taking up residence in the Minister's office instead of in separate room at his mother's. Even sleeping on a desk would have been preferable to not being able to touch Harry.

He wandered down to Harry's room and smiled as he saw his boyfriend begin unbuttoning his shirt. He tried to go to him, but the doorway held him out with invisible wards. "Damn you mother," he muttered under his breath.

Harry turned around at the noise and smiled as he realized the predicament Draco was in. Slowly and carefully Harry walked forward until he was just inside the wards keeping Draco out and continued to unbutton his shirt with an agonizing pace.

Draco growled as he reached out to touch Harry's bare skin, only to be pushed away by the magic between them. Harry chuckled and waggled his finger in mock chastisement before raising the finger to his mouth, flicking his tongue over the tip and then began pinching his own nipples; his eyes never leaving Draco's even for a second.

"You are such a tease," Draco complained.

"Maybe," Harry replied with a smile. "Or maybe I'm just getting you worked up for later."

"You heard my mother, there's not going to _be_ a later," he scoffed.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Harry noted, trailing fingertips over his exposed chest and torso.

"And how do you plan to get past these wards?" Draco snarled in frustration. All he wanted to do was to fuck to his boyfriend, just as he had wanted since the first night they went out all those weeks ago.

"I don't need to. I saw a big field out back when we portkeyed in," Harry replied with a cheeky grin.

"A field?" Draco asked, grimacing at the thought of smelly animals and dirt. "And you thought your desk wasn't appropriate for our first time together?" he scoffed.

"Just think about it," Harry said. "We could lay out blankets and watch the stars while we make love all night."

Draco smiled and nodded, quite pleased with the idea of making love to Harry under the stars. "So then tonight?"

"Tonight," Harry promised and blew Draco a kiss through the wards and went back into the room to change for dinner.

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Authors Note: Coffee flavored Harry's for everyone that reviews!!


	19. Chapter 19 Ember

Authors Note: Many thanks to my brilliant and wonderful beta Laurel for her work on this chapter. So yay, Memoirs isn't late, however I missed the posting of Rivaling Affections yesterday because I haven't finished it yet. As soon as I perfect it and my beta reviews it I will put it up I promise.

Chapter 19 Ember

Danger lurks everywhere.

No matter your profession –escort or accountant- you're in danger somehow. You have to be particularly careful in this line of work however, since you spend significant private time with various strangers. I always make sure someone knows where I am at all times, whether it's a phone call to my Madame, or a note left with someone I trust. Gods forbid I go missing or get attacked, at least someone always knows where to find me.

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Draco didn't want to make dinner tense for everyone else but as he thought about his love interest sitting across from his mother, he couldn't seem to help it.

And now that he knew that his mother had been speaking with Harry behind his back, it made it that much more difficult to keep his mouth shut.

"So, how often have you conspired against me, mother?" he asked, his voice remained friendly but the words were not.

Narcissa narrowed her eyes at her son and took a bite of the roasted duck they were having for dinner, purposefully delaying her response. "It could hardly be called conspiring against you when I've helped you to secure the Minister of Magic as your companion."

"Helped me?" he sputtered, beginning to grow annoyed. "You did nothing outside of interrogating him after a single date."

"I encouraged him to seek your company again," she huffed, clearly put out at having her contribution trivialized.

"Harry, if my mother hadn't interfered, would you have still wanted to date me?" he asked, turning to his boyfriend, who had paused in the middle of stabbing a green bean with his fork.

Upon being pulled into the conversation he held his hands up in surrender and shook his head with a smile. "I know better then to get in the center of family squabbles."

"Just answer the question," both Narcissa and Draco demanded at once.

Harry sighed and shifted in his chair, knowing there was no diplomatic Ministry reply he could give. "To be honest, I fell for Draco that first night, and though I value your approval of our relationship Mrs. Malfoy, it was Draco who made me happy and made me want to date again."

Narcissa sighed contentedly and smiled at Harry while patting his hand. "Such a sweet boy," she cooed.

Draco might have rolled his eyes at his mother, but those gray orbs held only love for Harry, who despite being put on the spot still said the most adorable things. "See mother, it was all me."

Harry snickered and quickly occupied his mouth with a forkful of vegetables to try and avoid being called on once again.

"Draco Abraxas Malfoy, I did not raise you to be so obstinate. What has gotten into you?" she demanded, her eyebrows so high on her face that they disappeared in the fringe of her hair.

Huffing, Draco pushed away from the table and crossed his arms across his chest. "I don't know mother, maybe your constant criticism of my job, maybe the lack of trust, maybe the separate rooms?"

Harry wasn't sure what to expect from Narcissa in response to Draco's outburst, but laughter was not among the retorts he had been thinking of.

As she chortled at Draco's obvious disgust, she folded her napkin primly and laid it on the table beside her plate. "So that's what it comes down to?" she said, not really asking, but making an observation.

"You're angry with me for keeping you and Harry from having sex in my house," she stated, looking up at Draco with sad eyes. "Is everything always about sex with you, Draco?"

Draco gaped, well and truly let his jaw snap wide in open dismay at his mother's words. Such a raw display of emotion had never been shown in Harry's presence before. "Would you care to just come out and call me a whore mother, or would you like to continue to play coy?"

Her jaw set in a tight line and her eyes began to water as she stood up from the table. "It is all I can think," she replied her voice even but, looking suddenly frail.

Draco didn't rise to meet his mother's height, but stared across the table in defiance nonetheless. "If I am a whore mother, it was only to save you from becoming one," he spat.

"Do you think I don't know that?" she shouted, paying no heed of their extra guest. "Do you think that I don't blame myself every day for what you have become?"

"And what is it you suspect I've become, mother? You speak as if I'm some kind of monster!" he yelled in return.

"You think I can't see? You flit around from client to client, never taking on a true companion, then you charm your way into the Minister's bed? For how long, Draco? How long until you tire of him and make a political mess of your life?" she asked, her voice shaking with unshed tears.

Harry blanched, unable to dispel the uneasy feeling he had in his gut at her words. He had wondered that same question himself, but Draco had managed to convince him that he wanted more than quick shag or a casual relationship. Perhaps he could convince his mother in the same way.

"We haven't even had sex," he blurted, suddenly regretting it when two pair of icy cold eyes were boring into his. He knew what the real basis of his mother's argument was, because they had the same fight every single time he visited, which was why he did so infrequently. She hated that Draco became an escort, especially under the circumstances with which it happened, but even more than that, she hated that Draco enjoyed it. She thought his life was based on sex and sex alone, and until Harry answered the door at number twelve Grimmauld Place that might have been the truth, but not anymore. Harry was worth the change in his heart, and Harry was well worth the wait.

"What?" Narcissa asked.

"Never, not once," Harry amended. "He's been the perfect gentleman and allowed me to wait until I was ready."

"But that night, you hired him-" she protested, but Harry only smiled in response and shook his head, cutting off her words.

"I hired him for his company in public, not in private," Harry corrected.

She looked rather speechless, and Harry could often tell when he was winning an argument, so he continued before she found some new protest. "The night before he was attacked, the night I agreed to date him, he came to me and was so perfect he had me begging him to sleep with me, but he refused in order to prove that he wanted more than sex from me." Harry looked over at his love, his Draco and smiled just for him. "It's not about sex. We love each other and we want to be together."

Narcissa leaned against her chair and gave her son apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry, Draco. I assumed the worst of you because I was so ashamed of what I had gotten you into."

Draco nodded a little curtly, but went on to smile. "All will be forgiven if Harry and I can share a room," he stated with a grin.

Narcissa laughed lightly and waved her hand. Harry could feel the wards dissolving and reforming into something of protection instead of division. "Go on, fornicate all over the house for all I care," she added with a smile and left the dining room, chuckling as she made her way down the hall.

"You're too manipulative for your own good," Draco told Harry as soon as his mother was out of earshot.

"Everything I said was the truth," Harry countered, feigning offense.

"Yes, but only Harry Potter could possibly get my mother to back down in an argument. I've never seen it done before," Draco replied, shaking his head.

"Hey, I got you what you wanted didn't I?" Harry asked with a smirk.

Draco got up and ran his fingertips along Harry's jaw and nodded. "Yes, you gave me exactly what I wanted," he whispered before placing a delicate kiss on Harry's lips.

Harry gave him far more than a shared bedroom, he offered lifelong companionship, true love and a beautiful face to wake up to every morning.

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That night, as the boys went to their shared room, Draco climbed straight into bed and under the covers. Still dressed, he started to get comfortable, and patted the place next to him for Harry to climb in.

Harry looked at him quizzically, but leaned in for a kiss only to have Draco move so that it landed on his cheek. With a slight pout Harry propped himself up and looked over at Draco's lovely, sleepy face and sighed. "So my manipulation of your mother was all for nothing?"

Draco chuckled and shook his head, pulling Harry into a chaste kiss. "No, I'm just so tired tonight. Portkeying long distances always saps my energy."

Flopping onto his pillow, Harry pulled the blankets over his shoulder and cuddled against Draco's body. "Could you take your clothes off at least?" he asked, but Draco shook his head and yawned widely.

"Love you," he murmured before his eyes shut and his breathing grew heavy.

Harry sighed and waved his wand to allow the lights to flicker out before settling in and falling asleep himself. He would have liked to sulk over the rejection, but he'd halted their potential coupling enough times on his own that he couldn't make Draco feel guilty.

As he fell asleep, he thought of all the ways he would have Draco make up for it in the morning.

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Harry woke with a start, not knowing if it was a noise or a nightmare that made him stir, but as he sat up and looked around the room his heart froze in his chest.

Draco was gone.

In a panic, Harry threw back the covers and got out of bed, his mind racing at the idea of Draco having been abducted from right under his nose as he slept. A quick check of the bathroom showed that Draco was in fact completely gone from the room and Harry clenched his hands into fist, assuring Draco's kidnappers that they would rue the day they messed with Harry Potter and the man he loved.

He drew his wand and went to the door stopping abruptly when he suddenly felt a change in texture beneath his bare feet. Reaching down he pulled a soft fragrant petal from his heel and when he looked back at the floor he found a trail of them leading into the hall.

Slowly he calmed his racing heart and a smile pulled at the corners of his mouth as he followed the trail of rose petals through the house and out the back door. He could see a faint light in the distance as he made his way through the yard and into the field he had mentioned to Draco earlier that evening.

His smile broke wider as his eyes fell on his love, sprawled naked and perfect across a petal covered blanket.

Draco gave him a wicked grin and beckoned Harry closer, to which Harry instantly obeyed, falling to his knees between the blonde's legs and pulling his face to his in a passionate kiss. "I love you," Harry whispered reverently to his thoughtful and sneaky boyfriend.

"How panicked did you get before you saw my note?" he asked, predicting Harry's mood perfectly.

"There was a note?" Harry asked.

"On my pillow," Draco replied, looking deep in thought.

"It must have flown off when I threw the covers off the bed," Harry admitted bashfully. "I found the trail of roses and followed you here."

Draco smiled and pulled his lover on top of him, running fingers through his unruly hair. "I didn't mean to make you worry too much; I just wanted to surprise you."

"I'm certainly surprised," Harry responded before crashing his lips against Draco's in a searing kiss.

"I wanted you so badly I didn't think I would be able to keep up the charade of being tired," he mused when they broke apart.

"My sneaky, sneaky Slytherin," Harry cooed, running his tongue along Draco's earlobe and making the boy cry out.

Harry hovered over him, pinning Draco to the blanket while he covered his neck in soft wet kisses that trailed down his chest and stomach before halting teasingly just before he reached Draco's already hard cock.

Grinning up at Draco, who was looking like the most delicious morsel Harry had ever seen, he winked before taking him into his mouth. Moving slowly at first and then quicker, as Draco writhed beneath him and bucked into Harry's waiting throat.

As if a sudden whim hit him, Draco pushed Harry away with strategically placed knees and flipped their positions, so that Harry found himself looking up at the stars and then Draco's angelic face glowing above him. "I think it's time I return that particular favor," he whispered against Harry's ear, the edge of his blonde hair tickling Harry's neck.

"You won't hear any protests from me," Harry chuckled deeply; his breath catching in his throat as Draco enveloped his head and flicked his tongue gently into the slit.

Harry clenched his hands in Draco's silken hair as he took more and more of him into his mouth, he felt Draco slowly sliding his lips around him until he was hitting the back of Draco's throat. He remained still, carefully trying to keep himself from gagging his lover, but when Draco began to move, running the flat of his tongue up and down Harry's shaft, he couldn't keep still any longer.

With squinted eyes and heavy breaths he gripped Draco's hair in one hand and the grass of the field in the other, ripping at the moist green blades as Draco sucked at his cock.

As the pressure built his pleasure got the best of him and he couldn't remain silent. With thick and languid groans he came, forgetting to signal Draco as he did and watched with renewed arousal as Draco looked up, licking his lips like a satisfied kitten.

"I love you so much," Harry cooed, smoothing the boy's rumpled hair.

"I bet you say that to all the boys," Draco teased as he moved up Harry's torso and positioned himself between his milky thighs.

Harry's face lost all mirth as he leaned up and grabbed Draco's face in his hands. "Look at me," he said, his tone a bare whisper as he traced Draco's high cheekbones with his thumbs. "I've never said that to anyone outside of my family. You're it, Draco. You're mine," he added possessively and pulled him into a rough kiss.

When they broke apart, Draco couldn't seem to stop smiling and it pleased Harry to know that his words didn't frighten the former Slytherin. He had never felt anything so potent as what he felt for Draco, and he never wanted to be with anyone else.

Draco pressed soft kisses against Harry's knees, bringing him back to the present and his magnificent boyfriend hovering over him. As if some wave of magic passed over them both at once, they let out a collective sigh and sunk together on to the blanket Draco had left out for their use. Draco's smoldering gray eyes were like a storm cloud, and Harry thought that if he stared into them long enough he might just see lightning strike within their depth.

When Harry felt the lubrication charm, his body flushed with lust and anticipation. Shuddering under the weight of Draco's gaze, he relaxed and let his lover take control. He'd never given himself over so completely, always holding something back, even from the kindest and truest of his former flames, but Draco was different. Harry felt safe within his embrace, and safe was not a term Harry often –if ever- used to describe his life.

The stars, the smell of fresh cut grass and Draco slowly filling him made Harry's entire universe collapse. All the carefully erected walls around his soul came crumbling down and let his former rival in. He craved Draco like a hunger that wouldn't die, and making love to him was even more sensual and erotic than he could have anticipated.

He had other lover's in the past, many of whom he had taken to bed too soon, and some he had been more cautious with, but with Draco it hadn't been caution that made him wait. Instead it had been nerves.

From the very first moment he saw Draco standing on his entry stoop weeks and weeks ago, he had known – part of him at least- that he was the one. If he had known his sexual preference in school, he might have known Draco was the one back then, but his mind was too caught up in the war to think about sex, let alone who he would like to do it. Then again, if Harry had known and pursued Draco then, prior to the war and the Malfoy's change of heart, it would have certainly blown up in his face.

It felt like destiny was finally giving him a break, and not just a break, but a gift. Instead of prophecies that condemned him to battle and possible death, he was given Draco. He was Draco's antithesis in almost every way, but it only seemed to make them a better match for one another. What is light without dark after all?

Draco felt amazing; his body was like a well-honed machine as it pumped inside of him, rebuilding his arousal as he pierced Harry with his unmoving gaze. Again the starlight reflecting in his eyes made them look like heavy storm clouds and his gaze paired with the feel of his body wrapped around and inside of him made Harry cry out.

Draco's long nimble fingers enveloped Harry's cock and stroked in time to his own thrusts, causing his recently satisfied state to become enflamed once more and before he knew it, Harry was deep within the throws of yet another orgasm.

As his body shuddered in release, Draco cried out, clutching Harry's knees and collapsing upon him and they tangled together in a heap of shivering limbs in the grass.

They were silent as they stared into each other's eyes, neither wanting to be the first to make a sound, and both content with the message they saw reflected in the other's face. They made love twice more before falling back onto the blanket slipping into a deep and languid sleep, pressed against each other under the star's watchful gaze.

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Dew clung to Harry's skin as he blinked his eyes against the harsh light of sunrise.

Falling asleep with his lover under the stars seemed a brilliant idea at the time, especially when the alternative was walking all the way back to the house, but in hindsight, it wasn't his best move. Dawn came far too early for Harry, who had just fallen asleep a couple hours before.

He yawned and stretched, trying to ignore the pain in his back where he was fairly certain he had fallen asleep on a rather sharp twig. When he turned over to wake Draco, he was met with an empty blanket, sending a momentary twinge of worry through his bones, but he quenched it with logic. He assumed that Draco had gotten up to answer the call of nature, or perhaps walked back to the house, though it seemed unlikely that he would do so without waking Harry first.

As he scanned the field, he noticed a figure in the distance standing by a rickety fence. He doubted it could be Draco, as the form was clearly cloaked in crimson and staring after him, making Harry wonder where his clothes might be.

The first hint of real panic set in when he reached for his wand and couldn't find it. Then the figure in the distance held up the thinly carved wood and if he had been unmasked, Harry thought they would be grinning. A moment later the figure apparated away with a faint pop, and a scrap of paper floated down to rest on Harry's bare thigh.

_We have him and you'll never see him again_

Those simple words were emblazoned on the parchment like someone wrote them with fire and it left Harry feeling as though his own heart had been burned from within his chest. The Code had Draco and they were going to kill him, if they hadn't already.

He had failed him. He had let his lust get in the way of his need to protect the blonde and it had cost his lover his life.

With a swiftness he didn't even know he possessed and little care that his clothes had been stolen, Harry ran across the field and back toward the house, calling out for Narcissa to help.

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Authors Note: Oh now, Draco gone, Harry's wand gone, whatever will they do?! Pumpkin pasties for all who review!


	20. Chapter 20 Shock and Awe

Authors Note: Many, many many thanks to my beta Laurel, who is in just as much suspence as you all will be by the end of this chapter. I've already started writing the next one though, so maybe I won't keep everyone on the edge of their seats for too long.

Chapter 20 Shock and Awe

Preparation is the key to success. You have to be prepared for any surprises or problems that may arise. Learn to adlib, learn to keep your cool and learn to maintain a constant air of nonchalance.

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"_He's a boy, he's just a child and my son's lover at that_," Narcissa chastised herself silently as _the_ Harry Potter, Minister for Magic and hero of the wizarding world stood nude before her in the parlor. She repeated the words like a mantra while trying to avoid letting her gaze drift lower than Harry's face.

She kept her lips pursed so as not to let her mouth break into a girlish grin at the sight before her. Not even Lucius had ever stood so casually confident and nude in front of her this way and here was Harry, a virtual stranger by all accounts just standing there in all his naked glory and waiting for her to respond.

A response, yes, but what had he even said?

"_Too naked_," she mused to herself. "Harry, why don't we get you a robe?" she offered and rushed off to fetch him one. She could feel him following behind her and was thankful for the fact that she might escape the day without having seen too much of Harry Potter's genitalia.

"Here you are," she cooed, pulling a very feminine black silk and lace robe from her closet and handing it over to Harry, who thankfully put it on right away.

"The wards, Mrs. Malfoy," Harry repeated from his earlier request. "Did you notice anything off about the wards on the house or on the property?"

"No, no I didn't, though to be honest when I changed them over to allow you and Draco to share a room they felt a little… fragile. I was going to check on them in the morning, but I should have done it right away it seems," she lectured herself. The panic of Harry's words was finally sinking in now that she wasn't preoccupied by a naked man in her parlor.

Draco had been taken from right under her nose. What kind of terrible mother was she?

"Did anyone else know we were here?" he asked hurriedly as he went into the guest room he and Draco had occupied earlier that night with Narcissa trailing behind him.

"Not a soul. I didn't even send an owl to Lucius as I usually do so that I wouldn't be tempted to mention it," she said. "I knew how important it was that your stay was kept a secret."

Harry nodded a little more curtly than he normally would have to someone who was allowing him to stay in their home, but he was frantic to find Draco and didn't know how long he had to rescue him. "I need to get him back, so I need you to search the house and let me know if anything is out of place or moved."

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As Narcissa rushed off to check the house, Harry went straight for the bed he and Draco had shared, looking for the note Draco had said he left on the pillow. He had thought little of it at the time because it was so plausible he had knocked the note off the bed in his haste to find Draco, but when he had woken up alone in the field, it was one of the first things he thought of once the panic of Draco actually being missing set in.

After a thorough check of the bed and the area surrounding the bed and even two separate summoning spells with a borrowed wand, he still didn't have a note… which meant that someone else did. Someone had been looking for Draco in their room and instead found a note telling them exactly where he'd be. But why wait until Harry had joined him?

The fact that they waited and probably watched them together was unsettling to him, not because of the voyeurism as much as what it meant that they waited. Either they had significantly underestimated Harry, which would work to his favor, or they had some other connection to him and Draco, which he thought was more likely the answer since no one knew about their staying with Narcissa except a couple of key people in the Ministry.

Harry paced for a moment as he thought through his next move in light of the fact that he couldn't trust anyone.

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Draco felt awash with a new sort of terror as the hooded figures circled him.

He was bound firmly to a cold wooden chair in the center of a dank and moldy smelling room. There was very little light, but he could faintly make out several oddly shaped boxes stacked against most of the walls. He could see only one rickety staircase leading upstairs, which led him assume that he was in a basement of some sort.

So far he hadn't been hurt, just stunned into unconsciousness to awaken here, but his clothes had not been returned to him and the way he was tied to the chair left little to the imagination. He got the feeling from the look of the ominous robed forms circling him like a pack of hungry sharks that his time of not being harmed was quickly running out.

He let his mind drift to Harry, who had still been sleeping soundly when they captured him. They had held Harry in his sleeping state with a blackout spell they had cast on him when he nearly stirred awake in time to catch them stealing his lover. No doubt he was worried sick by now and trying to find a way to rescue him, but would he be able to find him? And even if he did, would he get there in time?

The first of the seven crimson robed figures stepped forward, breaking from the circle. "State your name for the Code's records," said an unfamiliar voice.

Draco remained silent, looking back and forth between the shadowed forms hoping to glean the identity of even one of them, but he found it impossible to make out any of their faces.

"He asked you to give us your name, Malfoy," spat another voice; this one was more familiar, though he couldn't quite place it.

"Malfoy?" Draco asked, trying to keep his voice calm and neutral. "I think you have the wrong bloke. My name is Leo, Leo Black," he told them firmly, though he was fairly certain he hadn't fooled any of them.

The familiar voice scoffed and slammed a fist into Draco's jaw, making the former Slytherin rock in his chair as the fear of lasting damage assaulted him. "Always the presumptuous fer-" he began, but another cloaked figure pulled him back.

"You weren't supposed to talk," someone hissed, another unfamiliar voice.

"But," the other man began to protest until finally sighing and slinking back into the ranks.

"Draco Malfoy," a new voice continued as if nothing had happened. "You are hereby charged with the murder of Albus Dumbledore, the attempted murder of Ronald Weasley, the maiming of Bill Weasley, the torture of Hermione Granger and the deaths of countless innocent victims, how do you plead?"

"I never did any of that, I've never killed anyone!" he protested desperately.

"It may not have been your wand that dealt the killing blow, but those people died because of you and what you believed in. You are a bane on mankind and your life should be snuffed out," came yet another voice, this one he couldn't place, though he thought he might have heard it before.

"The entire Malfoy name will be wiped from existence," another added.

"_Might_ be," someone else corrected.

"It's for the judge to decide," another concurred.

"Still," said the man who had punched Draco in the jaw. "I feel pretty confident that you'll hang before the night is over."

The rest of the group seemed to agree and they began to file out of the room, all but the man who had hit him. "Not a word," the last of the Code hissed as they left, a warning that the other man waved off casually.

"I can't believe Harry Potter lets you fuck him," the man mused out loud. "What is the world coming to when our hero takes it up the arse by a Death Eater?"

"I'm not a Death Eater," Draco protested. "And I _love_ Harry."

A sharp sting accosted his cheek as the other man slapped him viciously, sending painful currents through his already throbbing jaw. "What do you know about _love?!_" he demanded. "What can a foul little git like yourself possibly know about love?"

"I don't care what anyone else thinks. Harry knows I love him and he's the only one I need to prove it to!" Draco spat.

"Are you sure about that?" the man asked mockingly as he leveled his wand at Draco's chest; Draco only glared back defiantly.

"_Bardus Infindo,"_ the man shouted and a hot beam of red light shot from the wand's tip penetrating Draco's flesh, slowly ripping and tearing at his pale skin.

He bit into his tongue drawing blood to keep from screaming out; he didn't want to give his attacker the satisfaction of hearing him. It took all of his willpower as the spell sliced deep patterns into him that he would have considered elegant had they been decorating something besides his own body.

The cloaked man directed the spell higher and higher until it began to cut into Draco's throat. He worried momentarily that the man might be intending to bleed him to death right there, but then his concealed attacker moved the slicing charm up to his face and he couldn't hold his tongue any longer.

Draco screamed, releasing a hollow and empty sound that rang through the basement and battered against his own ears as the man with the wand laughed.

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Harry typically avoided Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

It wasn't that he didn't like being in the school, far from it, he enjoyed walking its expansive halls just as much now as he had when he'd attended classes there. But since the war he always felt that something about the castle haunted him and refused to fade away. It lurked like an evil pestilence in the back of his mind, beckoning him back, but the longer he refused to visit Hogwarts, the easier it was to ignore the draw.

The Elder Wand called to him from Dumbledore's tomb, and each time he had to visit the school, he managed to evade the pull of it, but today didn't intend to resist.

He marched up to the tomb with his hand extended and took what was, by an ancient magical right, his property. "Accio wand," he whispered firmly and when he opened his eyes the weight of the thin pale wand was in his hand. There was no need to desecrate Dumbledore's grave as Voldemort had done, although it was clear that being the owner of the wand helped him to retrieve it with such ease.

The wand felt both all wrong and so right in his palm as the magic he had been fighting against for years penetrated him. The Code would regret sending him to these extreme lengths and, if he had his way, the Elder wand would spill blood that night, but hopefully only the blood of Draco's attackers and not the blood of Draco's murderers.

"Are you certain you know what you're doing, Harry?" a stern, yet concerned voice asked from behind him.

He turned to lay eyes on his old Transfiguration professor, who was now the Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. "No, I'm not. But I have to do something and this seemed to be one of the better options."

Minerva smiled and pulled Harry into a hug. "I'll refrain from asking questions and just tell you to be careful. If I hear about you getting hurt…" she shook her head as her words trailed off and she stepped away from Harry and smoothed out his hair.

It was clear that she still saw a small orphan boy when she looked at him, and Harry would always have a warm spot for the motherly Professor McGonagall. "I'll be careful. I promise."

"And I'll expect you to return that when you're done," she remarked, nodding toward the wand. "A thing like that is best kept out of magical hands, whether they be good or evil."

Harry nodded and turned to leave, waving once last time to his old professor before walking down to the front gates and apperating to his Ministry office.

The door to his office opened at almost the same moment that Harry arrived and Dennis strode in with his clipboard in hand. "Mr. Potter? Is everything alright?"

Harry gave Dennis a calculating stare as he aimed the Elder Wand at his head and performed Legilimency. He probed into the boy's mind for any clue that might indicate he had anything to do with the Code or Draco's disappearance, but found nothing.

He sighed in relief. "I'm really sorry about that," he told the stunned looking boy. "Draco's been captured and I had to know for certain if I could trust you."

"How, when?" Dennis asked, ready to scribble down any notes that might later be of help to them.

"He was stolen from me at Narcissa's house in the middle of the night," Harry replied, leaving off the bit about actually being in the yard, and being naked and not having been a terribly good protector.

"But that's… that's impossible!" Dennis shouted.

"I need to know who knew about our location, I need a list, and we need to narrow it down and quickly," Harry rattled off.

Dennis sighed and collapsed into Harry's armchair. "That won't be necessary sir," he groaned.

"What? Why?" Harry asked, rounding on him as if he might shake the information from Dennis's body.

"There was only one other person who knew of your whereabouts," he sighed. "So I know exactly who it must be."

"Who?" Harry shouted, clearly not happy with the game of 'lets only give Harry a fraction of the answer at a time' that Dennis seemed to be playing.

Dennis grimaced against the upcoming lash of screaming that was bound to come and he squinted up into the ceiling lights, trying to find a way to relay the information to Harry without causing too much damage.

"You're not going to like it," he muttered at last, and Harry sat down at his desk, awaiting the bad news.

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It felt like a jolt of lightning had stabbed through Draco's skull waking him from his coma-like state as two of the hooded figures propped him back up. He could feel a string of drool hanging from his lip and wanted to wipe at it, but clearly the cloaked strangers had no intention of unbinding his hands.

Draco took note of the hushed silence in the room. He thought it must have been due partially to the damage he sustained to his ears during his tortured stay and partially because the robed assassins were being much less vocal than before.

"The Judge has arrived," a familiar voice announced and the rest fell to one knee as an eighth figure approached.

The new arrival was clothed in similar robes made primarily of the same crimson material as the others, but the cowl and collar on these were a rich black silk with thorny red vines embroidered into the fabric rather than the unadorned crimson of the others. The judge immediately broke the circle and strode toward Draco with gliding steps, halting just shy of him and running a finger across Draco's pale and bloodied cheek.

Draco could almost see their face, but the darkness was much thicker than the light and he couldn't quite make it out.

The cloaked figure stepped from the shadows and dropped their deep black cowl, smiling wickedly at their prisoner as Draco's face clouded over from shock.

"I had a lot of ideas of who could want me dead, but you?" Draco shook his head, blood soaked tendrils slapping against his face. "I never thought you had it in you."

Authors Note: Let the speculation and the hate mail pour in. Laurel has threatened to count up all my cliffhangers to point out how mean I am. hehehe


	21. Chapter 21 Judge and Jury

Authors Note: A million extra thanks go out to my friend and beta Laurel on this chapter. As Beta did her job and polished things up for me, but as my friend and a fellow reader I think she hates me just a little for this chapter. OH! AND, last week she threatened to count up my cliffhangers and brandish them all in my face for me to feel guilty over, but she's done one even better, she wrote a funny little oneshot about me and my stories. You can find the link on my profile, you should all check it out, it's very VERY funny!!

Chapter 21 Judge and Jury

Sometimes your clients might get violent. Hopefully this never happens, but if it does, there are a few simple guidelines to follow. I say 'guidelines' because by no means are they steadfast rules, more like things to think about and improvise upon because the most important thing is to get away.

Number one; agree with them, no matter how nonsensical they are. Number two; delay things. Keep them talking and distract them from harming you for as long as possible. Number three; beg. If it comes to it, tell them exactly why they shouldn't hurt you, but rather let you go instead. Put yourself on their level, in their world. Make yourself a human to them, thereby making them think twice before inflicting damage upon you.

But no matter what it takes, you must get away.

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Draco wished he had lost his eyesight in the beating he had gotten earlier, anything so as not to see the unlikely sight before him.

Light fell from one lonely bulb to illuminate a typically soft and sweet face, and frizzy honey brown curls. Hermione smiled a wicked smile that looked more like it belonged to his Aunt Bella than on the face of one of Harry's friends, and her usually warm chocolate brown eyes shone with anger and malice. A stab of sorrow wrenched through him as he thought of what Harry would say or think or do if he found out that his best friend of more than a decade had betrayed him in such an unforgivable manner.

"You never thought I had it in me?" Hermione asked repeating his worlds for confirmation. "You rarely ever think, Malfoy, and you constantly underestimate those around you."

"I thought you were Harry's friend? You can't be the judge of The Code and Harry's friend all at once, so which is it?" Draco demanded.

"Both," she answered with narrowed eyes. "This ragtag group needed a leader, and I'm the natural choice, but I am also Harry's friend, which is why I am giving him the ultimate gift," she replied. "Your death now will save him the pain you are sure to inflict upon him later."

"Are you mad, woman? Do you even hear yourself?" Draco sputtered, shocked at the inane rubbish falling out of a so typically rational mouth.

"Leave off with the insults, Malfoy," spat the man who had beaten Draco. He let his own cowl drop to reveal startling red hair and brilliant blue eyes.

"Weasel," Draco scoffed. "I should have known you were a lackey if Granger is the leader of this twisted gang."

"You couldn't just die the first time?" Hermione asked in a soft whisper, drawing his attention away from her husband. "It really would have made things so much easier."

"Clearly things like miraculous recoveries happen when you're in the company of a hero," Draco shot back snidely.

"Yes," she mused. " I know this better than many. Still, what he sees in you I'll never understand. He was willing to let our friendship fall apart over you. He's the Minister for Magic now, he should know better than to roll around with the likes of you."

"Why can't any of you understand that we're in love? And if you can't understand that, why can't you just leave us alone? It's hardly any of your business who Harry dates," Draco lectured.

"Not my business?" Hermione growled. "When Ron and I were with Harry trying to get the Sorcerer's Stone before Voldemort, where were you? What were you doing the summer after second year when we were trying to help Ginny get over the guilt she felt from being used as Riddle's tool after writing in the journal that _your_ father gave her? In third year, while you were poking fun at Harry for his fear of Dementor's, we were fighting werewolves and saving the hippogriff you tried to have slaughtered, and saving Harry's godfather from The Kiss! Then of course there was the Quidditch Tournament and while you were all cozy in your box seats with the Minister, we were being attacked by Death Eater's like your father, and need I even mention Umbridge and the inquisitorial squad or your plans to kill Dumbledore in sixth?"

Draco sighed, sagging against his chair under the weight of the argument against him, which suddenly felt like such a heavy thing. He opened his mouth to refute her words, but couldn't. Every word she spoke was the truth. She and Ron were always at Harry's side and he was on the other end, shouting torments at the boy and striving to make his life hell.

"You teased him, you beat him up, you were awful, Malfoy. We are his friends, we know what's best for him, we helped him win that war and you only fought him every step of the way," she continued when Draco didn't argue.

Perhaps she was right; perhaps Harry was better off without him. Merlin knew he didn't deserve Harry, but he had always known that. Harry was sweet and kind and perfect and who was he? A monster in the eyes of Granger, and maybe that was it, maybe he was a monster, maybe this was his punishment for trying to attain something he didn't deserve.

"You're right," he whispered. "I don't deserve him. But he does love me, I couldn't begin to know why, but he does! Doesn't that mean anything?" he exclaimed.

A sharp bark of laughter escaped the lips of another Code member and another cowl dropped revealing Ron's younger sister Ginevra. "Like Harry knows what he wants?" she laughed without humor. "He said he loved me once as well."

"You cheated on him. I don't even understand how anyone could ever cheat on him? He's… he's Harry for Merlin's sake," Draco shouted in defense.

"He cheated on me!" she shrieked.

"Only after he found out that you were sleeping around," he corrected.

Her gaze widened slightly, her cheeks turning pink but then she sneered. "How would you even know?"

Draco simply rolled his eyes. "Harry told me of course."

"And you think everything he tells you is true?" she asked, a wicked smirk playing on her features.

"Yes," Draco replied with a firm nod.

"Well, he says that he loves you, and he told me he loved me. So which is true? They can't both be. How could the same person love both of us? There isn't a single thing we have in common," she told him haughtily.

Draco had an answer. He suspected that Harry never really loved Ginevra at all, but that was not an answer she would want to hear so he kept his mouth shut. Partially to save his skin from undergoing further damage and partially because he knew the same could be said for him. Maybe Harry was just looking for something to fill a hole, and along came Draco: hole filler. It was his job after all to be what people wanted most.

"Either way, he's been led astray, fallen victim to the infamous Malfoy charm," Hermione noted. "And we're going to nip that problem in the bud."

"So you could just kill me?" Draco asked. "You, who are all supposed to be better than me, you could commit murder?"

"It's not murder, its justice," Hermione corrected.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night sweetheart," Draco spat. "But I'm sure Harry won't see it that way."

"Harry won't know it was us," Ron corrected. "He's never known it was us sending all those Death Eaters to the grave where they belonged."

"What if he found out? He is Minister now; he has more resources than ever before. Do you really think he won't use those to find out who murdered me? Did you ever think of how badly he would hurt if he knew what you three had been doing?" Draco asked, begging for them to understand what they were doing.

A flicker of comprehension darted through Hermione's eyes, but it wasn't echoed in the others. They thought they were untouchable, above the law, above Harry.

"That's exactly why he'll never know. He'll be made to believe it was your boss that killed you and he'll be happy to take her down and sentence her to a nice long stay in Azkaban. It kills two bird with one stone, really," Hermione informed him.

"What's the other bird?" Draco asked.

"It will give Harry closure and it will get rid of that vile harem she's been keeping. You should be thrilled because this way she won't go after your mother again," Hermione offered with a smile. "And we'll be happy because it will keep Harry from falling into the same trap again."

"How will he fall into the same trap if I'm dead?" Draco asked, confused by her reasoning, if you could even call someone threatening to kill you 'reasonable'.

She narrowed her eyes slightly after sharing a glance with her fellow Code members she laughed. "Oh that's too precious. He didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Draco shouted.

"Harry was a regular client for Madame X. He usually got muggles that he would bring home and do Merlin only knows what with, but for the Gala he wanted a wizard. He called her up and asked for her best, someone that would keep a secret if put under public scrutiny and she sent you. But no, you weren't Harry's first prostitute, Malfoy," she informed him with a sizable grin on her malicious face.

The news shouldn't have surprised him as Harry did seem to know Madame X quite well, but it did surprise him and it also made him wonder why Harry had hidden that fact from him. In theory it mattered very little. Surely Harry had only a fraction of the men in his bed that Draco had as a professional escort, but it was just that. It was Draco's job, there was little choice involved, but Harry had choices, nothing but choices, and still he chose to walk the path of the lonely?

He laughed then, the sound filling the dank basement and making a few of the still shrouded Code members step back.

"What the hell is so funny?" Hermione demanded, her previous smile withering away into a scowl.

"You just proved it, you just proved that he loves me," Draco chuckled lightly, the pains from his torture lessening instantly at his revelation.

"How did telling you that Harry slept around and you were just another one of his whores tell you that he loves you?" she asked, clearly confused at how he reached such a conclusion.

"That's just it though. Harry and I only made love for the first time the night you captured me. He wanted it to be right and special not just a quick shag on the Minister's desk," he chuckled, mimicking Harry's words from that day he spent cooped up in Harry's office while Harry interrogated suspects.

"That proves nothing," Hermione shouted, but Draco could tell from the glitter of defeat in her eyes that she knew exactly what Draco's words meant. He was special to Harry, not just somebody to fill his needs.

Hermione shot him with a blood-boiling curse, but Draco merely gritted his teeth and kept his eyes locked firmly on her chocolate brown orbs. He was more resolved than ever to get away. He would live through this; withstand any amount of torture to see Harry again.

He thought of Harry and how splendid it would be to see his smiling face again as he braced himself for Hermione's next curse.

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"No, no you must be mistaken," Harry groaned, rubbing his temples with his index fingers to try and ward off the impending headache threatening to slam through his brain.

"I wish I were, Sir. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to be able to blame this on just about anyone else, but it was Hermione Granger that asked of your whereabouts. She said you asked her to pull some information on Madame X for you and that she wasn't able to get them to you in time, but the information was too sensitive not to give you directly," Dennis replied, wincing from the glare Harry shot him. "I'm sorry, sir. I had no idea she was a threat. She's been your best friend for years after all."

Harry sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Dennis. I know it wasn't your fault. I had reluctantly suspected Ron as part of the Code back when we were Aurors together and I never did anything about it. I was fairly close to being able to prove it on the Rowle case. When Rowle disappeared suddenly during our investigation I found evidence linking Ron to his home the night before he went missing. I tried to talk to Ron about it and he denied it of course, and then when I tried to look into it further, the evidence was gone. I should have realized then that only Hermione would have been able to keep Ron safe from an ongoing investigation."

"I think you did realize it then, you just didn't want to admit it to yourself," Dennis observed and Harry nodded.

"I was terrified that she had been the one to get inside my wards and attack Draco the first time. As much as I hated taking down Blake, I was relieved that it wasn't Hermione or Ron," Harry sighed.

"But it was," Dennis pointed out. "They set him up, and they clearly think you're not clever enough to catch them."

"I'm not! I have no idea where to even start looking for them," Harry groaned.

Dennis looked thoughtfully at his Minister and pulled out his clipboard. "That's why you have an assistant. Tell me all the property you know of that the Weasley-Granger's own."

Harry thought it over, listing things out on his fingers. "There is the Burrow, obviously, their cottage in Ottery St. Catchpole, Hermione's parents home in Surrey, and last year Ron bought the old run down joke shop in Hogsmeade from his brother… that's it isn't it?" he hissed, suddenly realizing he had discovered their hiding place, or at least a decent starting point.

Dennis smiled widely and nodded. "I would imagine so, yes. It seems a suitable place to take someone for an extended kidnapping. It's been vacant for so long and no one would ever think Hermione or Ron coming and going would look suspicious."

Sparing only a moment to shoot his wonderful assistant a relieved smile he raised the Elder Wand and apparated from his office directly into the center of Hogsmeade, a feat he would have been unable to achieve without the help of the Deathstick. Startled faces greeted him at his arrival but he ignored their questions as he ran at breakneck speed toward the old Weasley Wizard Wheezes shop at the end of the street, hoping against all hope that he would reach his love in time to save his life.

Authors Note: Okay, so I know things seem rather bleak at the moment, though several of you guessed that Hermione was the judge, but I ask you not to lose hope just yet and read on (next week of course) lol.


	22. Chapter 22 Killer Instinct

Authors Note: Many thanks to my beta, Laurel (DreamingInColour) for her work on this chapter. I was lost without her while she was on holiday! So I finished the rough drafts of this story today and chapter 25 will be the end. It's in beta now for revisions, so we should have regular updates on this story for the next few weeks pending the lack of any odd disasters occurring. A few of my stories are coming to an end in the weeks ahead, HRI only has a couple installments left and as soon as I pick up on Poppet and Alurring Lullaby there will only be a couple chapters left of those stories as well. On the bright side some of you have already seen chapter 1 of my newest story (Becoming) and I still have another that I'll start posting soon, so the end of one just means the beginning of another. Thanks to everyone who has been patient with me in my absense and I hope this chapter makes up for it a little bit.

Chapter 22 Killer Instinct

Everyone dies one day. It's unavoidable really.

What you have to determine, though, is what is most important you? Do you want to be remembered for all the good you did, the beauty and brilliance you instilled into a world that would have been worse off without you in it? Or would you prefer to not give a rat's arse about how people think of you after you're dead and worry only about your own happiness while being alive?

If it's the former then you're in the wrong business. If it's the latter then I'll probably see you in Hell.

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The streets of Hogsmeade were desolate and eerily quiet, reminding Harry of the old Western movies he had sometimes watched through the cracks of his cupboard at the Dursley's. He half expected a ball of tumbleweeds to roll by and to see someone dressed in a cowboy hat appear at the end of the lane, ready to duel.

The imagery helped take his mind off of the frantic situation he was in and kept him from going stark raving mad at the prospect of losing Draco at the hands of the Code. He had already experienced his lover's near death once, wasn't that enough? Must people keep trying to rip his lover straight out of his embrace? Hadn't he endured enough, what with growing up a virtual slave, having his childhood shadowed by death and destruction, killing a Dark Wizard and then being thrown head first into a position as Minister for Magic? Hadn't he paid his due ten times over? And if so, then when would he get his turn to be happy?

Hogsmeade had fallen into disrepair over the years. It had taken so long for the school to be rebuilt that a good portion of the population in the small town had moved away before the castle was complete. By the time the school was finished, there were only a handful of residents still around who helped to do the basics like keep the train station running when school was in session.

None of the shops were open, and several, like the Weasley Wizard Wheezes looked completely abandoned. Harry remembered the day Fred and George had purchased the old Zonko's Joke Shop. It was at the height of the war the summer before the trio snuck away to hunt for Horcrux's and the twins had been thrilled at their new expansion. They got it for dirt cheap because of the war being waged all over Europe and went to setting it up immediately.

They hadn't even gotten the chance to open the doors before the Battle of Hogwarts began. After the dust settled and with only one remaining twin, the plans for the store fizzled rather quickly and the windows and doors were boarded up.

Harry got into the shop fairly easily using a prying charm and a rudimentary unlocking spell and felt ill at the sight that hit him inside. Every wall was slathered with moving posters depicting either the twins grinning like mad, or one of their products spinning on display with starbursts announcing the products 'long lasting effects' and 'tastes great'. Dust laden shelves all held candy and other items that Harry could remember the boys inventing and testing on him and Ron.

With a sigh of loss he left the past behind him and tried to concentrate on the task at hand. Almost at once he heard faint noises from the basement and headed toward the back.

Tripping over several boxes in his haste, he made it to the basement door, but one unlocking charm after another refused to let him open it. He was about to try yet another, wanting to be able to surprise Draco's captors instead of alerting them to his presence with something as loud as a Reducto curse, when he heard a bloodcurdling and furious howl from downstairs.

Without a second of hesitation he damned the consequences and reduced the door into smoldering bits with an explosion hex before running down the stairs two at a time.

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Draco braced himself for another painful strike from the end of Granger's ingenious wand, but it never came. When he looked up, he was shocked to see her looking at him with what appeared to be grudging respect.

"Aren't you going to beg for your life?" she asked at last, lowering her wand to her side and flicking it absently against her robes.

"What's the point?" he replied, leveling his shoulders defiantly. "_Obviously_ I'd prefer not to die, and I'd rather you not hurt Harry as you'll most certainly do by killing me, but he's already going to be shattered to find out that you did even this," he added, indicating the ruin that was now his face and body. Some of the cuts that he could see were already healing into pale shimmering lines and he wondered briefly –if he managed to get out of this alive- if he would be horribly scarred for the rest of his life.

Hermione tilted her head to the side and studied her newest victim. "If we let you go would you keep our secret from Harry?"

"Mione, no! We can't trust the Ferret," Ron protested from behind her, stepping out of the circle of Code members to hover at her side.

"Would you keep killing other Death Eaters or would you turn them over to Harry for trial?" Draco countered, knowing he could never keep something this huge from his lover without certain concessions, the main one being that they stopped murdering people.

"They've already been tried and the Ministry released them once before," Ginny spat. "They wouldn't put them to trial again."

"Maybe not all of them, but Harry's Minister now. He hates most of the Death Eater's just as much as you do, he just wouldn't resort to _illegal_ measures to destroy them," Draco told Hermione, ignoring the others. Clearly she was the more rational of the group –which was a stretch to say the least- and the only one that held the potential to save him at the moment.

"Would you keep our secret?" Hermione repeated, narrowing her eyes at Draco in concentration.

Draco sighed and let his head drop backward for a moment before raising it again and letting his gaze lock onto his captor. "I love Harry and I would do anything to spare him pain of your betrayal. I would keep your secret, but only to a point. If he ever asked me directly if it was you three I would have to tell him. I won't lie to Harry," he replied at last.

"An honest answer," Hermione mused and shook her head in dismay. "I fully expected you to just say whatever we wanted to hear to save your own skin."

"I'm not that Draco Malfoy anymore," he replied.

"So I see," Hermione commented and after a moment where thoughtfulness painted over her features she nodded curtly. "Release him," she ordered and was met with a plethora of shouts and curses.

"You can't be serious, Mione! This is _Malfoy_, we've been after him for years!" Ron yelled.

"I'm the judge, I'm the leader, I make the rules," she noted firmly. "This one is done. The Malfoy we were after doesn't exist anymore and I'm not risking Harry's happiness anymore than we already have. As much as I hate to say it, Malfoy's right, Harry will find out sooner or later and it would crush him, and in turn he would crush all of us."

"It's Harry!" Ron shouted. "He'd never do anything to hurt us," he told her.

"Don't delude yourself into thinking he would spare a moments hesitation before sending us to Azkaban if we were to kill Draco. I've heard Harry talk about him, I've seen it in his eyes that this one, this time is different," she spat.

"He'll get over it," Ron growled.

"You don't know him anymore," she countered. "How many bridges do you think you can burn with him before he stops giving you preferential treatment? He's already sacked you from the Ministry. Do you honestly believe that he'll keep you out of prison for this?"

Ron opened his mouth as if to argue once more but promptly snapped it shut. Apparently the distance he had created between him and his old friend had finally caught up and crashed into him and he realized Harry was no longer as attached to him as he used to be. Judging from the look on Ron's face, he was picturing Harry sentencing them all to the horrid Wizard's prison and realizing that it was in fact very likely to happen.

Apparently Draco wasn't the only one who noticed Ron's conflicting emotions and several other Code members, all of which had remained hidden under their cowls, started chattering amongst themselves, trying to decide whether to agree with their leaders.

A bloodcurdling and frustrated howl erupted from behind Hermione and Ron and every one turned to look. "If you don't do it I will," Ginny shouted over the din as she aimed her wand at Draco's chest and shouted the killing curse.

Brilliant green light shot from the end of her wand and the whole world seemed to slow down for Draco. His life flashed before his eyes, everything from his first training broom ride to the day he first met Harry in Madam Malkin's, all the way through his first and last time making love to the bright-eyed Minister. Draco even imagined he could see his lover's brilliant eyes overpowering the green of the curse he was unable to dodge. He had but a brief moment to wonder what things could have been like for he and Harry had they gotten the opportunity to grow old together before he was hit with what felt like a battering ram to the chest and all went dark.

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Harry's heart shuddered to a stop when he spied the group of crimson robed avengers and easily picked out the identity of several of them, making his frozen heart nearly shatter to bits.

In their midst, bound tightly to a wooden chair was his Draco, nude and blood soaked. If it hadn't been for his wide-eyed expression he would have thought his lover dead, but as it was it seemed that Draco was at least conscious, which was honestly better off than Harry had expected to find him.

He was about to hex the lot of them when he heard Ginny's words and saw her wand raise and watched the spell he had been having nightmares of his entire life come flaring in a green blaze from its tip, straight at his love's chest.

He leapt forward at once, knocking Ginny to the ground, but it was too late, the spell was still on course and Harry was forced to watch as his lover's stormy eyes widened slightly before impact and then closed peacefully in resignation that this was his end.

With a scream that shook the dank basement walls, Harry flung himself in the path of the killing curse, waiting to feel its impact, waiting to feel the life drain from him in one fell swoop.

Instead, all he felt was the thud of magic as Hermione and Ron both stepped up and together cast a powerful _Repello_ charm that sent him and Draco both sprawling out of the way of the deadly curse.

Harry quickly scrambled to his feet and leveled his wand on the group surrounding him. "Drop your wands," he ordered and heard the instant clatter of wood on stone. "Everyone," he added, glaring malevolently at Ginny, who still clutched her wand tightly in her hand. When she still refused to release it he ripped the wand from her hand with the powerful magic the Deathstick offered.

Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of the Deathly Hollow wand, but Harry didn't give her the opportunity to comment on it. Instead he turned to check on Draco, who was unconscious but still breathing. A sigh of relief fell over him, quickly overshadowed by a thick feeling of betrayal as he spun on his former friends.

"All this time," he whispered, his entire body shaking uncontrollably. "You've been doing this behind my back, killing innocent people, all while lying to my face."

"They were hardly innocent, Harry," Ginny bit out, sounding very disgruntled.

"Shut up," Harry hissed. "They were deemed innocent by the Wizengamot. Who are you to dispute their word?"

"The Wizengamot is corrupt," one of the Code members replied, and Harry looked up to see his old friend Ron staring back at him with a mixture of sadness and defiance. "You know that better than anyone."

"So that gives you the right to corrupt your own soul?" Harry asked, staring back into his friend's frightened blue eyes incredulously. "You're all murderers."

The word reverberated through the room and hung over their heads like a death sentence. "Together you have probably killed more people than the people you're punishing. What is it that makes you any better than a Death Eater?" Harry asked, leveling his powerful gaze on each of them in turn.

When he got to the end of the row closest to him he spotted the one person he had wanted most to be wrong about, and she stared back at him with regretful eyes. "Hermione," Harry rasped. "How could _you_ of all people betray me like this?" A sob nearly choked his throat as he thought of what he now had to do to these people he considered friends and even family.

She fell roughly to her knees; tears streaming down her cheeks. "Oh, Harry. I'm so sorry, it all just happened so fast. We thought we were doing the world a favor but then-"

Her words fell of deaf ears as Harry waved a silencing charm over the group. "Enough!" he shouted viciously and hung his head between his hands. "You've murdered countless people, I could sentence you all to the Dementor's Kiss right this moment."

Harry could imagine the protests and the sobbing that would be filling the basement had he not silenced the lot of them a moment before. He stared with pitying eyes at his best friends and his former girlfriend as he cast the spell that would send his patronus to Kingsley Shacklebolt and alert him of their location.

It wasn't forgotten that Hermione and Ron saved his life as he jumped to protect Draco's but he didn't know what he could do. A trial would not go favorably for either of them and his heart was in shreds at the idea of losing them forever and having to watch their innocent children grow up without parents.

As soon as he heard the sounds of breaking glass from upstairs he knew the Aurors had arrived and he disbanded his silencing charm. He summoned the wands to his grasp and shoved them all into his robe pocket for evidence. Certain familiar willow and vine wood wands caught his eye and he placed them into a different pocket.

He went to Draco's side and pulled him into his lap, transfiguring the rope that had unwound when the chair broke into a robe for the otherwise naked man. A groan escaped Draco's cracked and bloody lips as his eyes opened and took Harry in critically. "Am I dead?" he asked softly.

"I'm afraid not," Harry responded with a gentle smile. "It was Harry Potter to the rescue once more."

"I had it all under control," he rasped, but Harry could see the relief in his eyes.

"I'm sure you did," Harry replied, smoothing blonde tendrils from his lover's face.

"They were going to let me go, Hermione and Ron that is," Draco informed him. "Probably the rest too, but that ex of yours is feisty."

"Well, they all bought a one way ticket to Azkaban the minute they even thought about attacking you," he replied bitterly. He winced as he wiped away blood from Draco's face to reveal thin scars.

"Am I hideous?" Draco asked, trying to make it sound like a very casual thing, even a joke, but Harry could hear the terror shaking his voice. He knew what had been used on him and he knew that healing all the scars tissue would be next to impossible.

"You'll always be beautiful to me," Harry soothed, but knew it fell short. It was the truth, Harry could easily see past the scars to the true beauty of his lover, but he knew that Draco was far more vain than that and it would take longer for the man's ego to heal than it would for his skin to do so.

Draco laughed harshly, an anger flooding his eyes that Harry hadn't seen since they were children and immediately he worried that he may have lost _his_ Draco after all. "At least this should free me from Madame X's contract. No one will want to bed a freak," he spat, and all Harry could do was pull him close and hold him tight.

"I love you, Draco. Nothing they've done to you will ever change that," he whispered. "I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you."

A moment later the stomping of feet hit Harry's ears and he looked up to see a troop of Aurors rounding up the Code members. Kingsley came straight to him and the look on his face reflected his shock at finding out who the members were.

"Harry, are you okay?" he asked worriedly. Harry imagined he probably had as much blood on him as Draco did at that point and nodded quickly.

"I'm fine, but I need to get Draco to St. Mungo's. Can you handle everything here?" he asked. He knew he must sound exhausted and he probably was, but he wouldn't leave Draco's side.

"Of course, sir," Kingsley replied with a professional nod. "What would you like me to do about…" he asked, his voice trailing off as his eyes flicked to where Hermione, Ron and Ginny stood.

Harry followed his gaze and saw that they were staring at him intently. They all looked broken, and Harry nearly caved and went to their rescue, but in the end all he could do was look away.

"Are you ready?" he asked Draco, who nodded in return and a moment later Harry had apparated them both into the lobby of St. Mungo's. "I need to see Healer Pratt," Harry announced and soon they were being ushered into a private room to wait for the Healer.

"Do you have a crush on the Healer, Harry?" Draco asked bitterly.

Harry rolled his eyes and kissed his boyfriend on the cheek. "I simply like that the man didn't judge us before. There is no one for me but you, love."

Draco scoffed lightly as he looked across the room at his reflection. Shining pale flesh riddled his skin in looping patterns across his face while the blood dried in his hair made him look ghastly. Harry flicked his wand in the direction of the mirror and reduced it to a pile of shimmering dust.

"Stop it," he hissed, turning Draco roughly to face him. "I fell for _you_ not your looks. I wish I could have been there to protect you from even this, but Draco I thought you were _dead_! I saw the killing curse aimed right at your chest and I was prepared to take it to save your life. Please don't reduce my feelings for you into a petty thing made of shallowness and lies. That's not who I am, that's not who _we_ are."

Draco looked at him with a stony façade and shook his head. "I'm a monster, Harry. I can't believe you could love this," he said, gesturing to his own marred face, "when you have the option of that instead," he finished, pointing out the handsome Healer approaching their room.

The Healer beamed at Harry until his eyes fell onto Draco's form and a dark cloud settled over him.

"See," Draco muttered. "Monster."

Harry sighed and held Draco close, trying to comfort him, but the man never melted into his arms as he always had before, and instead remained rigid and defensive.

He had only a moment to think of what he had lost within the last few hours before the Healer was in their room and their private moment was just as far in the past as their love apparently was. He never wanted to leave Draco's side, but he feared that if Draco were to keep up his current attitude, eventually it would force him away.

With a piercing gaze he studied his lover closely, and he couldn't even see a hint of the man he had fallen in love with in those cold eyes. A thick emotional darkness settled over the both of them and Harry gripped Draco's hand tightly.

"Please don't let us go," he pleaded, but Draco merely dropped his gaze to his own lap, refusing to raise it up to meet Harry's again.

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Authors note: Have I been away so long that you forgot about my cliffhangers? lol.


	23. Chapter 23 Superficial

Authors Note: Many thanks to my beta Laurel (DreamingInColour) who beta'd this story for me not once, but twice! lol. Beware, the end is near!

Chapter 23 Superficial

You've only got maybe twenty good years in you with this profession, maybe twenty-five if you're lucky and have killer genetics. No one wants to sleep with a past-his-prime escort, if they wanted that they would have just stayed home and shagged their wife. No matter what you do, looks fail eventually and then you're out.

My advice is to make the most of your youth, because once you're ugly, you might as well be dead.

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Draco knew that he should be more grateful to Harry for saving his life; he knew he should also be happy with his boyfriend's kind words, but he couldn't seem to muster up any positive emotions when he knew what had become of his face. It would only be a matter of time before Harry found someone less hideous that could make him equally happy if not more so than Draco could.

He'd always been able to rely on his looks. He might not be clever enough or strong enough or powerful enough, but when all else failed he was always pretty enough. Draco knew he wasn't handsome, that word was used to describe people like Harry with his strong square jaw and five o'clock shadow; _he_ was handsome and tragically so. But not Draco, no he was slightly feminine in a way that stood out through his fair blonde hair and his softly pointed features.

That was before, though. Now he was a monster, and no one wanted to make love to a monster. Especially someone like Harry who could have any witch or wizard he wanted. Call it insecure, but Draco knew his place in the world and it revolved primarily around his looks. That was what made him money and that was what landed him the world's most eligible wizard, whether he admitted it or not.

He could feel Harry drawing slow circles on his back, absently touching him while he spoke with the Healer. Normally Draco might feel a smug satisfaction at knowing Harry wanted to be constantly touching him, but today instead he felt prematurely angry at the loss he was determined would happen when Harry stopped feeling that way toward him.

As it was, Draco knew his condition was too new and that they were still too much in shock for Harry to have yet come to the realization that he was dating a freakishly ugly man. But the realization would come and Draco had to prepare himself for it, and distance himself from it.

"So what did this to your skin, Mr. Malfoy?" the Healer asked once all pleasantries had been cleared away.

"A dark curse of some kind surely, I don't know which. They used a non-verbal spell," he admitted.

He saw the Healer wince and knew what the man was thinking. "I'm aware that you can't heal me, dark magic is impossible to heal."

"Not, impossible, Mr. Malfoy, but certainly difficult and will rarely bring you back one hundred percent to your original state. As it is though, the wounds are superficial, so no fatal damage has been done," he remarked.

Draco laughed harshly and ignored Harry's application of firm pressure on his back. He could make a scene if he wished; it was his face after all.

"We'll see what we can do to make you comfortable before we start treatment, shall we?" the Healer asked and a mediwitch came in while Harry left the room to speak with the Healer.

Normally Draco found that anywhere he went, even in the wizarding world, staff were polite to him, even sweet, despite his past, just because he was beautiful. But Draco didn't fail to notice that this time the mediwitch wouldn't even look at him as she set up his bed and laid out a comfortable cotton dressing gown.

She left without a word and Draco winced at the fact that not even people _paid_ to be polite to him would do so.

Before he was able to slip out of the robe Harry had transfigured for him and into the one left on his bed, the door opened and an unlikely face popped in. "Where's Mr. Potter?" Dennis asked, cringing as Draco turned around and he saw the full extent of his injuries.

"He left with the Healer," Draco muttered and Dennis ducked out of the room again without another word.

Draco changed and tried to get comfortable on the bed provided but couldn't seem to settle his mind. All the different ways he could imagine Harry breaking up with him kept coming to the surface of his mind making him so fitful that when Harry walked back into the room, Draco nearly broke up with him right then just to save himself the heartache.

There was nothing for it though as Harry looked like he had a bigger purpose in mind. "Great news," he began and Draco rolled his eyes. The news couldn't possibly be all that great.

Harry handed him a piece of parchment and Draco read it over and over again, a slow smile forming on his face.

"I thought you'd be happy," Harry noted and hugged his lover tightly.

Draco could hardly believe it. The note was from Hermione and on it listed every single spell used on Draco while he was captive. None of them were dark, because apparently that was something Hermione had insisted on, and were instead only modified versions of simple household charms. The one Ron has used on his face was more often used by stay-at-home witches in scrap booking to make decorative edges on the paper.

Further down on the paper was the counter spell to each one. Draco tried one of them on a scar decorating his hand and laughed out loud when the mark disappeared.

"Feel better?" Harry asked playfully.

"Of course I do. I was just in here imagining all the ways you would break my heart when you left me and now I don't have to worry. I'll look just as dashing as I did before," he added with a wink, but Harry's face fell.

"What?" he asked softly, extracting his hands form Draco's.

"Come on, Harry. We both know why you were attracted to me," Draco informed him tentatively, unsure as to why Harry chose now, when things were looking brighter, to become angry.

"Dammit, Draco. Is that what you think of me? That I'm some shallow prat who would dump you because your looks changed?" he barked.

"They didn't just change, Harry. It's not as though I put on some weight or got a new haircut. Look at me, Harry, I mean _really_ look at me. Would you honestly want to wake up to this face every morning?" he demanded.

Harry didn't reply with words, instead he grabbed Draco's face with both his hands and fell against him in one of the most passionate kisses that the boys had ever shared, leaving Draco breathless and yearning for more. "You're right," he said at last, looking as though a sorrowful weight had been placed on his shoulders. "I wouldn't want to wake up next to a vain arse who thinks so lowly of me."

With that Harry shot him a broken look and left the room. Draco called after him but Harry never turned around again and he never came back to the hospital while Draco was there. In fact, what Draco didn't realize at that moment was how badly he had botched things and that it would be a very long time before he saw Harry Potter again.

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Harry went straight to the Ministry and paced up and down the length of his office. He'd been thinking about Draco and his friends and he knew he had to do something, but what could he do? The answer came unbidden to him when Hermione's note had arrived at St. Mungo's. Even alone in her cell she thought of him and what she could do to help. It seemed only right that he return the favor this one last time.

As he made his way down the corridor that held the members of the Code, he realized he didn't even care if he was caught or even if he was sacked. He had resigned himself to the position of Minister, but never really cared for it.

He was still furious at Draco's behavior and the fact that he had been fooled into thinking Draco was the real thing. All along he was just as shallow and phony as Harry had presumed him to be in school.

"Afternoon, Minister," the guard called from his desk at the front of the hall.

"Afternoon," Harry greeted in return and shook the man's hand. "Can you tell me which cells you placed Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley in?"

"Sure, uh, they're in the same cell, number two-twenty, Sir," he answered after scanning the scroll on his desk.

"Excellent, can you run up and get Kingsley for me, please. Tell him I'm ready to start the interrogations," Harry replied and headed toward cell number two-twenty.

He gazed through the small barred window at his former best friends, people who had given him so much but had fallen so far from who they used to be. Though perhaps that wasn't entirely true. Even as children they were all getting in over their heads and breaking rules left and right, all in the name of the greater good. Hell, even Harry had used an unforgivable on a Death Eater for simply spitting on his mentor. The problem, Harry realized wasn't even what his friends had been doing that hurt him the most; it was the lies.

They knew that Harry had lost countless hours of sleep trying to catch the Code, even ruined relationships with the time he spent away trying to capture the people who were seeking their vigilante justice. All the while his two best friends were running the show behind his back, feeding him false leads and probably laughing the whole time.

If they had but told him, Harry could have provided them legal channels to seek their justice on the Death Eaters.

As it was, he was left with only one option, and he hoped they took it, for all their sakes. Harry couldn't live with himself if he was forced to send his best friends to that awful prison.

With a wave of his wand the door clicked open and Hermione and Ron both looked up in unison, a mixture of relief and sorrow painted their faces.

"Harry," Hermione began and stood to walk over to him. "I'm so sorry for all of this, did you get my note?" she asked.

Harry nodded and raised his hand to silence her. "Thanks for that, Draco should be fine in no time."

She sighed in obvious relief. "I just want you to know that we were wrong, and we know it. We just want you to be happy, Harry, and we know now that Draco can do that. We didn't mean to take it so far."

"Well, it seems you were right the first time. Turns out Draco wasn't exactly who I thought he was. Though it was still no reason to attack him," Harry warned.

"What?" Ron asked from his spot on the floor.

"We broke up at St. Mungo's. He accused me of only being with him for his looks. I can't be with someone who knows so little about me," Harry sighed.

"But, Harry," Hermione started to protest, but Harry cut her off.

"I'm not here to talk about that. I'm here to get you two out," Harry told them and handed them both their wands, which he had kept apart form the others and withheld from Kingsley.

"No, Harry we can't. You'll get into trouble," Ron protested.

"You have children at home who need you, get them and go as far away as you can. You won't be able to set foot in England ever again, do you hear me?" Harry asked seriously.

"I know you're sorry and I wish I could say that I forgive you, but this is the best I can do, so please, just go, okay?" he asked.

"Ginny?" Ron asked briefly, but Harry shook his head.

"I can't do this for her. She used the Killing Curse, Ron," Harry noted. He wasn't even sure why he was doing it for Ron and Hermione, but they had stood beside him through everything; the attacks on his life, the war and the awful nightmares afterward. In a way it was what he felt he needed to do to repay them for that. In light of their betrayal, with this act, Harry considered them all even.

He pressed a small golden coin into Ron's hand. It was their old Dumbledore's Army coin that they had in fifth year used to notify the members when they were meeting. It only seemed fitting to use it to spring his friends from yet another time being caught in a secret group.

"It's a portkey. It'll activate in a few seconds and take you to the Burrow; your kids are there. As soon as you have them you all have to apparate as far away as you can and keep going. They'll be able to track you through at least three simultaneous apparitions but it will just keep getting harder after that. Don't stop unless you have to and get as far away from England as you can," Harry warned them quickly.

"I don't know what to say, Harry," Hermione sobbed and tried to kiss her friend on the cheek but he dodged her and shook his head.

"Don't say anything, just go," Harry ordered and as Ron shot him a grateful look and Hermione shouted out 'give Draco another chance', they shimmered out of site as the portkey took them to their first destination.

Harry slumped to the floor, finally feeling the weight of the day's emotions heavy upon his soul. A few minutes later Kingsley walked into the room and gaped at the sight of Harry sans prisoners. "What the hell happened here, Harry?" he asked, looking around frantically.

"They overpowered me," Harry replied dully, not even caring much that it was the least convincing lie he had ever told. "They went that way I think," he added, pointing out the door the opposite direction that everyone else had come from.

The other Aurors with Kingsley took off in the direction Harry pointed but Kingsley stayed behind. "Something you would like to tell me, Minister?" he asked when it was just the two of them.

Harry gave him the full weight of his gaze and shrugged. "Is there something you would like to know?"

"Not if it involves our Minister letting two known criminals escape," he replied honestly.

"Well that's fortunate, because it merely involves Harry Potter helping his old friends," Harry noted.

"Well, I hope Harry Potter knows what he's doing," Kingsley muttered.

"Me too," Harry agreed and let the old man pull him up off the floor before they left the cells together.

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Three weeks later Harry was shopping for groceries at the Diagon Alley market. Things had been relatively quiet for him. Kingsley had helped to steer the investigation of Ron and Hermione's escape away from Harry and they still hadn't found the couple.

Draco surprisingly hadn't tried to contact him in that time. Harry thought about going to his flat to check on him, but reasoned that Draco was no longer his responsibility.

He missed him though, more than he thought was possible given the vastly wrong opinion his ex had possessed of him. He couldn't believe after all their time together that Draco never really knew him at all. After all of the time he had spent trying to cultivate their relationship and then all of the time he had worried about losing Draco, and here he lost him regardless.

Harry got there in time to save his life, but still he lost Draco in the end, just like he lost everyone. Perhaps he was just destined to be alone, paying a Madame for the company that others got for free, but then that hadn't turned out so well either.

He grabbed a few apples and placed them in his basket when a strange woman came over and stood uncomfortably close to him. "Excuse me," he greeted and tried to move away.

"Alright, Harry?" she asked, and Harry groaned, thinking he couldn't even get away from magical folk when he tried to do a bit of muggle shopping.

"I'm fine, just getting some groceries," he replied.

The woman giggled slightly and shook her head in dismay. "You're Auror training has flown out the window I see," she noted mysteriously and Harry's eyes went wide at the familiar voice in the very unfamiliar body.

"Mione?" he whispered and she nodded.

"I didn't use cat hair this time," she said with a wink. "I just wanted to check on you, see how you were holding up," she told him.

"I'm fine, but you really shouldn't be here. If the Ministry finds out-" he began but she shook her head.

"They won't. Now, did you do what I said?" she replied hastily. Harry looked at her in confusion and she simply sighed. "Are you and Draco back together or not?"

Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head. "No, I haven't spoken to him since the hospital."

"Harry please don't mess this up," she pleaded. "Really, we couldn't have been more wrong about him. He loves you, Harry."

He ran a hand through his already messy hair and sighed. "It's really none of your business, Hermione."

"Would you just talk to him? What could that cost you?" she persisted.

"I'll think about it," he agreed at last; primarily just to get her to hush about it. He was still uncomfortable around her after what she and Ron did. "That's the best I can do right now."

"Fine," she huffed. "But you need to think about it quickly. I want you to be happy, Harry. It's all any of us ever really wanted. We just lost our way."

Harry thought about hugging his friend but he just couldn't bring himself to the level of physical closeness they had once had before her betrayal. Instead he simply wiped away the single tear that leaked from her eye. "Tell Ron I said hello… and the kids too. Be careful, okay?"

"I will," she promised and squeezed Harry's arm tightly before exiting the grocery store and leaving Harry to his thoughts of Draco. He didn't think he was ready to talk to the boy yet, but maybe there was something to what Hermione said. What he did know was that he never felt more alone in his whole life.

Authors Note: DA coins for everyone!


	24. Chapter 24 Sense and Sensitivity

Authors Note: Many thanks to my beta Laurel who helped kick my arse into shape for this chapter and the next! Also, if anyone would like to know about updates and/or new projects you can find me on Facebook or my Yahoo Group (see my profile for details). Also (and this is the last Also I swear) for those of you who haven't already noticed, I posted two new stories -Becoming & Trophy. You should check them out because they are already new favorites of mine.

Chapter 24 Sense and Sensitivity

Liar, deceiver, scoundrel, cheat -they are all such ugly words really, words I'd rather not have used to describe me, but desperate times call for desperate measures. As unseemly as being thought of as all those things might be, it's far worse to realize that you're utterly alone in this world.

Whoever it was that said 'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all' clearly had never lost their soul mate.

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Harry was having a hard time keeping his eyes open as he scanned yet another mundane document that he had to veto or approve. This time someone was trying to create a wizarding law which stated that persons were not allowed to fly over muggle inhabited areas without a license. It was rubbish really because there were few, if any, areas that were completely devoid of muggles altogether.

He grabbed his giant veto stamp and relished in the loud thud it made as he slammed it into the document's surface and then signed his name below the garish red ink in his own messy scrawl.

After two more vetoes –one proposing to make it illegal to wear purple on Thursday's and another that wished to ban the use of magical fireworks- and a reluctant approval for a new development space in London to expand Diagon Alley, there was a brief knock on his door and then Dennis' face poked through.

"I have new messages, sir. Would you like them now or should I return after lunch?" he asked professionally.

"I could use a break," Harry sighed and motioned for his assistant to come in and sit. Dennis obliged and at once began consulting his clipboard.

"Your meeting this evening with Delores Turner was confirmed, you got an owl from Arthur and Molly Weasley requesting your presence at this Sunday's dinner and you have gotten four owls and one visit from Mr. Malfoy," he recited before looking up, preparing to be lectured.

With a roll of his eyes, Harry declined to comment on the Draco appearances and instead focused on the legitimate messages. "Excellent," he replied at last, noting the visible confusion on his assistant's face. "Make sure I'm gone by six so that I don't miss that meeting with Madame Turner, and tell the Weasley's that I'll be joining them this Sunday and that I look forward to it."

Dennis scribbled Harry's answers beside the messages and then looked up at his boss expectantly. Harry however, went back to work and began stamping more documents until Dennis cleared his throat. "And Mr. Malfoy, sir? What would you like me to do about him?"

Harry sighed and leaned back into his chair. He wasn't ready to talk to his ex just yet and wasn't even certain that he ever would be ready. He knew in a way it seemed petty to break up over what had happened at the hospital, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Draco had been false with him and furthermore saw Harry as just another shallow bloke who had never cared about him. It seemed as though nothing they had shared had meant anything to Draco and that his words of love fell on deaf ears. It was a painful realization to find out that he was in love with someone who felt vastly different than he did and he just needed it to end before he got even more involved and even more hurt.

Even more it killed a part of Harry to know that he wasn't able to protect Draco from harm in the first place. He reasoned that it would only happen again if he were to try again with the beautiful blonde because as Minister, he was always someone's target for anger. He decided that it would be for the best for both of them that he try to forget Draco altogether. "Just ignore him, eventually he'll get the hint and leave me alone," he advised at last.

"I'm not sure about that, sir. He's very persistent," Dennis corrected.

"He's also very wrong for me and vice versa and soon he'll get bored and move on," Harry replied. "Just _incendio_ the owl messages and if he shows up again, tell him I'm out."

"Yes, sir," Dennis replied reluctantly and left the office.

"He told me to tell you he's not here," Dennis told Draco, who was sitting in a chair just outside Harry's office door. The man visibly slumped and Dennis felt a pang of pity for the usually overbearingly difficult Malfoy.

"What if I just went in there," Draco countered, standing up as if he would just barge into the Minister's office.

"I'd stop you," Dennis said honestly. "It's my job," he added when Draco gave him a look that resembled an injured puppy.

"And my owls?" Draco asked, pointing to the pile of parchment scrolls covering Dennis's desk.

"I'm to burn them," he answered.

"Does he really hate me so much that he won't even trouble himself to read my apologies?" Draco demanded, the hurt on his face doubling.

Dennis sighed and patted the sullen man in the shoulder. This was by no means his area of expertise and it was certainly not part of his job description to console the Minister's ex boyfriends, but he had been put to all sorts of unusual tasks ever since Harry had returned from rescuing Draco and capturing the members of the Code. "He doesn't hate you, he's just… upset. I think he's afraid you'll break his heart again," he reasoned.

"Can you get him to read even one of the letters?" Draco asked in a voice that was more like pleading than Dennis had ever heard it.

"I'll see what I can do," he promised and meant it. At this point he would do anything to keep his Minister out of the slow downward spiral he was in at the moment.

"I don't care what anyone else says, Dennis. You're a good man," Draco remarked with a clap on the back and then left.

"Wait," Dennis called after him, but Draco didn't turn around. "What are people saying about me?"

He swore he heard a faint laugh from Malfoy's general direction and huffed as he slipped a couple of the man's love notes into Harry's next batch of documents. Knowing the Minister, Dennis suspected he would get halfway through reading the letter before he even realized what it was.

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"Madame Turner, thanks for seeing me on such short notice," Harry greeted as he made his way into the gaudily decorated office.

"Mr. Potter, is it?" she replied and shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you in person."

"Please, call me Harry," he replied and took a seat on the end of a very ostentatious lipstick red chaise.

"Harry, then. I'm sure you understand why I prefer to meet my new clients in person before we pair them with one of our escorts. Not only is it the ideal method for security reasons, it also helps me determine which of my men would be best matched to your needs," she informed him lightly.

Madame Turner was a muggle who did roughly the same thing as Madame X. Harry had decided to swear off of wizards for a bit and wanted something much more casual, something he could control but something that would keep him from sleeping alone at night. When it turned out that even his best friends had betrayed him he knew he couldn't be too careful and dating another wizard would be more trouble than it was worth.

The woman sitting across from him now was fairly well known in the muggle community and only occasionally took on new clients, but Harry had assured her that money was no object and with some falsified muggle credentials he was in.

"I understand perfectly," he replied and tried not to stare too long at the way her lips pursed like a fish when she wasn't speaking. She was a bit of a cliché really, wearing a short but very tight skirt and a leopard print blouse. She was very angular and thin and her graying hair looked slightly unwashed, as if she had been out working a street corner before their meeting. It made him hesitant to see what kind of people she had under her employ.

"Good, now if you don't mind me asking, what does an exceptionally handsome man such as yourself need with an escort?" she asked, and though her words were pleasant, her eyes were hungry.

"It's hard for me to meet people in my line of work," he lied. He had already done several interviews with nearby agencies and they were all the same. "I'm very busy."

"What is it you do?" she asked.

"I'm in government," he replied with a tight smile. His answer shut her up, as he knew it would.

"Say no more," she cooed and pulled out a large binder. After placing it in front of Harry, she opened it to one of the back pages. "Now, previously you mentioned money not being an object, and I must tell you this is our best performer," she told him, pointing to a man in the book.

He was tall and Italian looking with bronzed skin and a heavily muscled chest. His hair was black and cropped short and he was the opposite of what Harry was looking for. Not that the man wasn't obscenely attractive, he just wasn't Harry's type.

"To be honest I prefer more of a lean build," Harry said, "and blonde," he added before he could stop himself. He certainly didn't want to end up with a clone of Draco, but his ex had been his ideal match, physically, and it was hard to stray too far from those qualities he had always admired.

"I see," she replied, pulling the book back over and flipping through it as she scanned the pages. Each profile was for a man who less and less fit Harry's ideal and eventually she put the book away and frowned. "This is slightly unorthodox, but I do have a match that I think might work for you. He's new however, just signed on for a probationary period this week, so I don't have an official profile on him yet, nor has he been assigned to anyone so far. I wouldn't normally match a new escort with a new client, but I've seen him and he fits your ideal better than any of my current escorts, and although he's new, he's very polished," she added hopefully.

"Er," Harry began, feeling as though he didn't want to chance it, but she cut him off with a predatory smile.

"I can get others who would fit your preference, but it will take some time. If you'd like to try Leo in the meantime I can set it up for this weekend and if you're unhappy I'll give you a full credit toward your next appointment," she offered, clearly not wanting to see Harry leave.

"His name is Leo?" Harry asked with a laugh, thinking that perhaps it was meant to be, and when she nodded he held out his hand. "I think we have a deal then."

The arrangements were made fairly quickly and Harry left with a new spring to his step. Knowing that the following weekend would not be spent pining after Draco and instead in new company that he had total control over made him more content than he had been in weeks.

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Harry answered the door and marveled at the man in his entryway.

He was taller than Harry, but only by a little and every centimeter was tanned and only slightly muscled. He had thick blonde hair and a charming smile and though he was no Draco, he was still remarkable to look at.

"My name's Leo," he introduced and Harry ushered him in, chuckling at the name again and then chuckling further at the fact that Leo would have no clue why he found the name humorous. Clearly he couldn't tell the man that 'Leo' reminded him of his old magic school mascot.

"So where do we begin? The man asked, winking at Harry suggestively. "Do you prefer the bedroom or are you more of an outside the box kind of guy?"

Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes and gestured at the sofa. "How about we start there," he replied and watched the man smile slightly.

He had a nice smile, pearly and straight just like Draco's but he quickly wiped those thoughts away and took a seat on the sofa patting the place next to him. Leo joined him at once and leaned in to begin undressing Harry with practiced ease.

With his own practiced movements Harry halted him.

"What kind of movies do you like?" he asked, nearly laughing out loud at Leo's surprise. It always was the most fun of the evening when he asked them some mundane and unexpected question.

"Er, I like all kinds I suppose," Leo replied at last, when it was clear Harry didn't intend to shed clothing any time soon.

Harry smiled wickedly and knelt at the cabinet under his muggle television and flipped though his stack of movies until he found what he was looking for and popped it into the player. Afterward he returned to the sofa and settled in against Leo's chest.

He silently mused on how comfortable he felt there and thought it odd that while Leo's breathing was steady, his heart was beating frantically. "Do you hire escorts often?" Leo asked before the movie started.

Harry only nodded and began to fast forward through the previews.

"And is this all that you do?" he asked, looking curiously at Harry.

"Sometimes we have meals together, sometimes we play cards," Harry replied with a laugh. "But we never have sex if that was going to be your next question."

"It was," Leo admitted. "It seems someone like you shouldn't have to pay for this kind of thing. You're very handsome, and you seem sweet, wouldn't you just rather have a boyfriend?"

Harry's eyes darkened and he shook his head. "I'd rather pay for the quiet comfort that this brings me than get a broken heart for free," he reasoned.

"I take it you've been burned before?" Leo asked, an intriguing curiosity in his blue eyes.

"Once or twice," Harry confirmed, looking his guest over carefully, thinking that they sure had sent over a chatty one this time.

"Someone recent?" he asked and Harry nodded. "Did you love him?"

Harry frowned and then sighed heavily. He hadn't really discussed his relationship or break up with Draco to anyone, but maybe it would be good to get the blonde out of his system. "I loved him more than I have ever loved anyone," he sighed.

"What happened?" Leo asked, seemingly eager for more gossip.

"He wasn't the person I thought he was," Harry told him.

"Who did you think he was?" the man replied with yet another question.

With another sigh, Harry leaned back against his side of the sofa and Leo pulled his feet into his lap and began rubbing them while Harry spoke. "I thought he was honest, funny, clever and more stubborn and persistent than even me. The trouble is, he thought I only wanted him for his looks, which I could care less about. I thought he knew me. The first night we went out I fell for him almost instantly as he recited back nearly word for word who I was and what I was looking for, but I should have known then that it was all a lie," Harry remarked bitterly. "He was an escort after all, and you guys all just say whatever you think you're supposed to right?"

Leo shrugged elegantly. "Some of us, but how do you know he didn't mean it?"

Harry sighed and shook his head. "You should have heard what he said to me the day I broke things off."

"Maybe he was having a bad day, maybe he doesn't normally think about his looks until they're threatened to be taken from him," Leo offered, and Harry nodded.

"Maybe," he muttered and then looked up quickly at the stranger holding his feet. "Except I never said his looks were being threatened," Harry noted and stood abruptly as the stranger looked suitably chagrined.

"Who the hell are you?" Harry demanded angrily and watched as the man, who was supposed to be a muggle, pulled out a wand and waved it carefully over himself.

"Draco?" Harry snapped, leveling his own wand at the now familiar blonde's chest. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"You won't return my owls, you have your assistant tell me you're out of the office when I stop by and you're never at your usual places anymore. Then I remembered that Hermione mentioned you used to hire out muggle escorts and I thought maybe I could find a way to see you," Draco replied defensively.

"So what, you think if you can't find a way to shag me as you that you'll pretend to be someone else? Is that all we were, Malfoy? Was I just sex to you?" he demanded.

Draco shook his head viciously and rounded on his ex. "Merlin no, Harry! I hadn't even planned on it at all, but when you opened the door, gods you look so good, Harry and I miss you so much."

Harry rolled his eyes and pointed at the door. "Well, you've seen me, so you can bugger off now."

"We need to talk, Harry. Please, just listen to me," Draco begged, but Harry walked away, back toward the kitchens and when Draco tried to follow, he found the way barred. With a swift and angry movement he smashed his fist against the locked door and screamed wordlessly into the air.

"Harry, I fucking love you, will you please give me another chance," he shouted but no answer came. He sunk to the floor and waited for nearly an hour for Harry to reemerge, but he never did. Draco left then, having lost all hope of ever winning Harry back.

The night had gone much differently than he had planned and perhaps it was his own naivety that made him imagine that Harry might react differently to him in person than he had in his other attempts to contact him. Still, it hurt desperately to know that Harry was able to shut him out of his heart so easily when Draco on the other hand was incapable of forgetting any nuance of his former lover's face or body or voice.

It didn't seem fair, but then he didn't know that Harry was, in that same moment, pacing in his bedroom, his nails gouging half-moons into his palm as he tried to discourage himself from running down to meet Draco's cries.

Harry's mind refused to let go of Draco as well but he just couldn't stomach the idea of falling all over again only to be left wanting for something that wasn't really there. He didn't want to be left with only the hopeful ideals of a lovesick man pining after the Draco that he wanted to be with, now knowing that person didn't actually exist. It felt as though the Draco he loved was just a figment of his own wants and desires and nothing more.


	25. Chapter 25 Memoirs

Authors Note: Authors Note: Many many thanks to my beta Laurel (DreamingInColour) for helping me through the process of finishing this story. This is the final chapter, and it's bittersweet to be ending yet another of my current WIP stories. The next to end is Poppet, and then after that will be Rivaling Affections, but both those stories have at least 2 updates before they'll be finished. Also, if anyone would like to know about updates and/or new projects you can find me on Facebook or my Yahoo Group (see my profile for details).

Chapter 25 Memoirs

I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, but none that affected me so much as ruining the chance of true love when I had it within my grasp. I'm not even sure how it fell apart, but I suppose love is one of the most fragile ornaments you can hold and if like me, you're an emotional klutz, then you have no chance of it surviving really.

The only note I can manage to end on is one where I hope for a better future and strive to make it come true. As it is right now, all I can say is that I miss him, and I hope that if he's reading this, that he might miss me as well. I hope he finds a joy that is worthy of him, even if it cannot be found with me'

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It had been nearly six months since Harry had last seen Draco. Since then he had gotten only one owl telling him that Draco understood that he had been wrong and couldn't blame him for being angry. He said he still loved him desperately but he would honor Harry's decision and leave off trying to win him back. The rest of Draco's letters, the ones sent prior to their last meeting, the ones Dennis tried to sneak into Harry's paperwork, were all safely stored away in the Grimmauld Place vault. Out of sight, out of mind.

Draco it seemed had finally given up and now Harry would be left in peace to grieve the man's absence from his life and to move on – or at least that was the plan.

In reality the note had been both a blessing and a curse, as it seemed the grief came much easier than the moving on did. The wave of despair that assaulted Harry after reading Draco's final message was nearly unbearable and couldn't be compared with anything he had felt before that. He thought he had experienced the worst of it already, but Draco's final words redoubled his pain and left him in quite a state for many weeks if not months afterward.

Weekly dinners with the Weasley's only took the edge off slightly. They had been so grateful to Harry for his interference at the Ministry that they seemed to have forgotten that he had drifted apart from them some years before and everything was as it had been before his and Ginny's unseemly breakup. It was a comfort that Harry needed and his only one really, especially after the last fiasco with Draco which led him to give up entirely on the idea of escorts.

With no one else really left in his corner, Harry couldn't help but feel the loneliness claw at his soul and wonder if he had been wrong to let Draco go over something that now seemed so insignificant. He didn't know how to fix it though, or what to even say if he saw the blonde again since he felt it nearly impossible to trust him. After his stunt posing as a stranger to worm his way into Harry's home coupled with the heavy weight of his best friends betrayal made it hard for Harry to trust anyone, let alone Draco who had already proven he was willing to stoop to lies in order to keep him.

It was nearing Christmas and Harry was in Diagon Alley searching out his final gift for his exiled friends. Arthur assured Harry that if he were to have something in his hands by Christmas Eve that he would make certain they would get it. Harry knew better than to ask for more information and instead set out to put a package together.

He had already bought some new Quidditch gear for Ron, a training broom for the kids and all he had left was a gift for Hermione. That revelation led him to Flourish and Blotts, her favorite bookstore where no doubt she would have trouble going now that she was a fugitive. The gifts were primarily for the children, as Harry was still feeling the sharp pain of betrayal when he thought of his former best friends. Still, given the holiday spirit, Harry felt he needed to give Hermione and Ron at least a token gift. Old habits die hard.

The doorbell rang as he entered and the clerk looked up and beamed at him upon spying his newest customer. Stacks and stacks of books surrounded him, all looking threateningly close to toppling and he wove in between them as the clerk made his way over.

"Can I help you, Minister?" the young boy asked, clearly delighted.

"I'm looking for a gift," he replied, scanning the aisles for any indication as to where to begin his search.

"Is this a lady friend?" he asked curiously and Harry sputtered a laugh.

"While it is a lady, and certainly a friend, she's not a 'lady friend'," he corrected and the boy blushed slightly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean… only it helps to know who the gift is for so that I can help you find the perfect book," he replied, quickly getting over his embarrassment. "So, what does this woman like?"

"Everything," Harry muttered. "That's the problem really."

The clerk mused and motioned for Harry to follow him as he flitted in and out of different aisles, grabbing book after book and levitating them in a precarious pile then eventually led Harry back to the front counter.

He took the first book of the pile and showed it to Harry who laughed outrageously. "I take it that's a no," the clerk mused and Harry nodded.

"She already has that one for sure," he replied, pointing to the cover, which read 'Hogwarts, A History'.

"I see," he replied and held up the next one, which was an autobiography on Celestina Warbeck. Harry shuddered and shook his head and the clerk moved down the pile. "This one," he commented, "has been very popular. It was just released but the customers went crazy for it right off."

The book was thick and leather bound with a glossy picture on its cover that Harry couldn't pull his eyes away from. Lounging in what seemed to be a green velvet armchair, the cool gray eyes of his ex stared back at him. Draco looked sad and hardened as he posed for his book cover and over his head, in metallic silver ink was the title 'Memoirs of a Male Escort: the life and confessions of Draco Malfoy'.

Harry roughly snatched the book out of the clerk's hands before realizing what he did and shooting the boy an apologetic look. He held the novel tightly, unable to pry his eyes away from the pale figure on the cover. "I'll take two of these," he told the boy but barely parted with his copy long enough to let the clerk package it.

At once he apparated to his home and told Kreacher he was to be left undisturbed until he called upon him. All afternoon and late into the night Harry sat in his study and read Draco's book cover to cover. He didn't know why he felt so compelled to absorb the words other than it was a long denied treat to be allowed into the other man's mind, even if it was meant for more than just Harry alone.

The dedication made his heart clench uncomfortably as he read the words 'For my Gryffindor, even if he is no longer mine'. He was nearly unable to read the introduction because his eyes had misted over at the sentiment, but he pressed himself to continue.

'I found this story- my story- much harder to write than I thought it would be when I had originally started making notes toward it. I had intended to write a book composed simply of my journal entries as a sort of 'how to' for people in my former profession. Clearly I knew the appeal that sex and intrigue would have anyone else willing to give the story a look, but what was once meant as a harrowing tale of a struggling gay man, quickly turned into a cautionary tale.'

Harry took a deep breath and continued to follow the neat script which must have been a handwritten letter reproduced on the page because the resemblance to Draco's handwriting was precise.

'I won't lie, this story doesn't have a happy ending, but I hope it serves to keep someone out there from making the same mistakes that I made. I had love and I lost it. I had a life long companion and I gave him up. I had the perfect man and I ruined things. I'm Draco Malfoy and this is my story.'

Harry shut the book and stared at the cover for a moment, letting his eyes lock onto the sparkling silver orbs of his former lover and boyfriend. There was no doubt in his mind that he still loved the man, still dreamed of him and still craved him in a way that he was certain no one else could satisfy.

Could he forgo all his concerns about Draco and pursue him once more? Could he put his heart on the line again in hopes that it not get broken?

The portrait book cover had no answers for him so he opened it to continue reading. Passage after passage made him yearn for more until he forgot all about eating or sleeping or anything else until the book lay complete in his shaking hands.

The final line 'As it is right now, all I can say is that I miss him, and I hope that if he's reading this, that he might miss me as well. I hope he finds a joy that is worthy of him, even if it cannot be found with me' left him emotionally spent in a way that he wasn't sure he would be able to get passed. Even sleep eluded him that night, as he lay awake and staring at his bedroom ceiling; unable to tear his mind away form thoughts of the enigmatic blonde.

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The money he had saved from his days as an escort, paired with the money from his book sale and his vast inheritance had given Draco the ability to easily hide from his former employer. The best part was that he hid right under her nose in the same loft she had been letting him reside in previously. He bought the flat from the building manager and registered for a Fidelius charm with the Ministry. It was granted, as he knew it would be because Dennis was nice enough to sneak it in for him, and he was safe enough.

No one, certainly not Madame X, knew where he was and he felt fairly confidant that not a soul would be able to find him, which was why he was caught slightly off-guard when there was a violent knock on his door.

Tentatively, with wand raised and ready, Draco made his way over and opened the door, nearly dropping to the ground in shock at the sight of his unexpected guest.

"Harry?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. He suspected Polyjuice or some sort of glamour as he had used on his ex months ago.

The ebony haired man simply held up a copy of his book. "Is it all true?" he asked and Draco opened the door wider to let him in.

With hesitant steps Harry followed him inside and stood with fidgeting gestures by the window, as if he would make his escape through it if Draco attempted anything he didn't like. He looked a wreck, as if he hadn't slept in days, and it was all Draco could do to fight the urge to coddle and comfort his former lover.

Draco went into the kitchen to make himself and Harry a cup of tea. He wasn't really thirsty but he needed some task to take his mind off of the smoldering form in his living room and give himself time to steady his nerves. After giving up on the tea and taking several deep breaths while counting slowly to twenty in his head, Draco made his way back to face his frantic looking former lover.

"So?" Harry asked impatiently. "Is it true?"

"I won't apologize for that book, Harry," Draco replied firmly. "I know I didn't get your permission but I never named you. If people deduce that I'm speaking about you than that can't be helped."

Harry rolled his eyes. "That's not what I asked is it?"

"Of course it's true, Harry. Why would I paint such an unflattering picture of myself if it was all lies?" Draco replied feeling slightly annoyed. Who did Harry think he was coming over and badgering him this way?

"Do you still fell that way?" Harry asked, looking thoughtful, his head tilted to the side just slightly as if he were an inquisitive kitten. It made Draco yearn to hold him once more, but he did everything he could aside from physically slap himself to keep from going to the raven haired man.

He took a deep breath and let it out very slowly before nodding. "I do. I always will, Harry. I love you."

In the blink of an eye Harry was upon him and Draco didn't know what to make of the attack until he felt Harry's glorious plump lips against his own for the first time in far too long. He returned the kiss with a kind of fervor that he hadn't even known he was capable of any more, practically drinking the other man down until his wits kicked in and he realized what was happening. He roughly pushed Harry away, desperately trying to calm himself so that he could think logically; he'd never survive it if Harry broke him all over again, he barely survived the first time.

"You think that just because I wrote a book about our love and my feelings for you that you can just waltz in here and recapture me with a single show of affection? Harry's it's been months, what if I moved on?" he demanded, a slight anger bubbling up to the surface.

"Did you?" Harry asked, looking momentarily stricken.

"Well no, but that's not the point," Draco replied haughtily. "You broke things off with me and then disappeared without giving me any opportunity to fix things. One kiss isn't going to win me back."

Harry frowned and began stalking closer to Draco, as if that tiny kitten of a moment ago had turned into a lion, ready to fight for his prey. "How about two kisses?" he asked then, snatching at Draco's shirt until he was pulling Draco against his body again. "Three, or perhaps four? Draco, I can't get you out of my head and no matter how hard I try I can't seem to cut you out of my heart. I've been in love with you since our first date and I'll never stop."

A whimper of defeat escaped Draco's lips before they fell once again, onto Harry's. They toppled to the floor in their frenzy to discard unnecessary clothing and Draco ignored the sharp pain he got from landing on his elbow in favor of the immense pleasure of Harry's body nude and against his once more.

Harry tore at Draco's shirt sending the buttons flying across the room and then he gasped, fanning his fingers across a nasty scar over Draco's heart. "What's this?" he asked concern painting his features.

"It's from the attack," Draco told him, feeling suddenly shy and exposed.

"But I thought they were able to heal those?" Harry asked.

"They were. I asked them not to heal this one," he replied.

"But," Harry started to protest, but Draco shook his head.

"I wanted a reminder of the day everything fell apart so that I didn't make those mistakes again. I don't know what came over me that day, Harry," he whispered.

"I do," Harry replied placing soft kisses against Draco's collarbone. "You were traumatized and I was still angry at myself for not having been able to protect you and it all got out of hand."

"I don't need you to protect me, Harry. I just need you to love me and stay with me," he replied, pulling Harry's face up to meet his.

"I promise," Harry offered and attempted to kiss him again but was met with a pale finger against his lips.

"And you can't just block me out," Draco added firmly. "I'm not perfect, Harry. Merlin knows I'm going to mess up again, but you have to give me a chance to explain and make it up to you."

Harry chuckled against Draco's lips but nodded swiftly when Draco leveled him with a very serious gaze. "I think that's perfectly fair," Harry replied.

"And when we fight you can't run away," Draco demanded. "You need to stay and work things out with me. I can't lose you again."

"I'd agree to anything so long as you stay with me," Harry replied, his eyes sparkling like jewels.

Draco smirked wickedly at Harry's sentiment and removed his finger from Harry's lips. "Well, in that case, I'm also demanding that we shag as often as possible."

"That's a given," Harry replied before pressing his lips against Draco's in a deep and sensual kiss. They both lost touch with the rest of the world as their bodies lingered together on Draco's soft woven rug and they vowed to remain that way as long as they could.

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Six Months Later

"Are you nearly ready?" Harry called up the stairs to his procrastinating prince.

"You can't rush perfection," Draco called back and Harry chuckled to himself.

"I suppose you'd say that I'm far from perfect then, hm?" Harry asked as Draco walked down the stairs toward him and stopped short to adjust Harry's tie. Draco was wearing Hugo Boss dress robes in a deep pewter gray that matched his eyes perfectly. His platinum hair fell perfectly to his shoulders and his lips were set into a seductive pout. The sight was enough to take Harry's breath away.

"No, no I wouldn't say that at all," he replied and placed a careful kiss on the corner of Harry's mouth.

"Are you sure we can't just stay in?" Harry asked, pulling Draco closer and letting a hand drop down to cup his lover's bum. He gave it a gentle squeeze and in seconds Draco had him pinned against the wall with his hands over his head.

"You shouldn't toy with me, Potter. You know this night is important, but if you keep this up we'll miss it for sure," he growled seductively, pushing his knee between Harry's thighs and smiling when Harry's breath caught in his throat.

"If you love me you'll let us skip it," Harry groaned. "You know how much I hate Ministry functions."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Low blow pulling the 'love card'," he chastised but Harry only smirked at him.

"Okay, say for the sake of argument that I agree to go to this thing," Harry began.

"You already agreed," Draco pointed out, but Harry ignored him.

"What do I get in return for being a good little Minister and doing the whole meet and greet thing with the other Wizarding authorities?" he asked, his ebony eyebrows raised seductively.

"Harry James Potter are you trying to get sexual favors in return for doing your job?" Draco asked as he feigned being appalled by the suggestion.

"I might be," Harry replied cutely and Draco kissed him roughly.

"Fine. If you go with me tonight and play nice with the other Ministry employees then I'll ravish you the moment we get home," Draco offered.

"Deal," Harry replied and pulled him toward the door. "Let's get this over with!"

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They arrived at the bustling splendor that was the Annual Summer Ball and were immediately greeted by various officials asking after Harry and introducing themselves to Draco while raving about his book. Most had assumed it was a fictional tale and complimented Draco on his imagination while those close to him told him how brave it was to commit such a thing to paper.

"I hope you're enjoying this," Harry mused with a subtle smirk, "because I'm keeping you up late tonight."

Draco laughed and twined his arm around his lover's waist. "You're just jealous that I'm getting more attention than you," he teased.

"Right, because we all know I'm the king attention seeker," Harry replied sarcastically.

They laughed and chatted, ate and danced for hours. The time just flew by until Harry spotted a surprising guest and paled slightly.

Once Harry and Draco became an official couple it became nearly impossible to keep avoiding Draco's former employer. Harry was in the public eye far too often for Draco to avoid getting his photo taken linked arm and arm with his lover and it wasn't long before Madame X tracked them down.

She had sent threatening letters to the Ministry but Harry had ignored them all. He really never thought she would have the audacity to simply show up at a Ministry function, but alas, there she was in all her furious glory and stalking right toward them.

Harry summoned Dennis, who was at their side at once, his trusty clipboard in hand.

"You've been avoiding the inevitable, Harry," Madame X growled lightly in greeting. The use of his given name instead of Harry's title was clearly meant as disrespect, but she obviously didn't know Harry well enough to realize that he cared little about such trivialities. "You've had an extended holiday with my best employee and now I'm here to take him back. He's under a binding contract," she reminded them.

"I already told you that your contract is void," Harry replied lightly, Draco's hand still intertwined with his own and squeezing it fiercely.

"We'll see about that," she hissed and pulled out a parchment roll, pressing her wand to Draco's signature. "Come to me," she ordered menacingly, her voice reverberating through the room as if she had channeled something dark. Harry felt Draco twitch slightly beside him but nothing more.

"Try again," Harry encouraged with a laugh and she did. She tried three more times, in fact, to trigger the magic built into her contract which summoned Draco to her, each time with failing results.

Dennis pulled a parchment from his clipboard and waved it in the air. Its surface was covered in colorful Celtic symbols and metallic gold rings. As he showed Madame X the certificate, Harry and Draco both raised their left hands, displaying matching glittering bands on their ring fingers.

"It seems that marriage contracts are binding as well," Harry mused. "And I do believe that husband trumps employee, therefore, I win," he added with a malicious wink and pulled Draco into a deep kiss.

Her face turned a furious shade of red and her eyes bulged slightly. "You- you _married_ him? But you're the Minister and he's just a whore!" she shouted.

"You might want to remove her before I do something regrettable," Harry ordered Dennis through gritted teeth and within seconds she was surrounded by Aurors and being dragged from the party.

With a heavy sigh of relief Draco leaned against his husband and looked into his brilliant green eyes. "Does my past ever bother you, Harry?" he asked, sounding slightly hurt at their relationship's harsh appraisal.

Harry smiled gently at his beautiful spouse and shook his head. "Why should it? If you hadn't lived your life as you did, we wouldn't be here right now."

Draco shook his head and snickered to himself. "You astound me sometimes, Harry Potter," he mused.

"Well, let me show you some other ways I can astound you," Harry offered with a wink and began pulling his husband toward the fireplaces. "Take me home," he requested, to which Draco was happy to oblige.

Authors Note: I hope I tied a neat little bow around any loose ends and I hope it was as enjoyable to read as it was for me to write. I'm sad to see it go as I am all my stories, but alas the end must come at some point and this frees me to concentrate on a few new projects I have brewing. Love to all my loyal readers and I'll see you again soon!


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